Twin elephants born Oct. 24 at Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse have made history as the first recorded case of surviving elephant twins in the U.S., Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced in a statement with the zoo director on Thursday.

Dubbed "miracle twins," the male Asian elephant twins were born to parents Mali and Doc, and are currently in good health, McMahon said. He added twins comprise less than 1% of elephant births worldwide, and of those, twins are often stillborn or are too weak to survive.

To date, there has never been a recorded case of surviving elephant twins in the United States, he said.

Mali delivered the first calf at 220 pounds with no complications. The second calf came 10 hours later — an event that astonished the zoo's animal care staff, according to McMahon. It weighed 237 pounds, but was noticeably weaker.

"The zoo’s animal care team and veterinary staff sprang into action and were able to significantly improve the calf’s condition," McMahon said.

Over the past two weeks, the care team has monitored the twins.

“I can’t commend my team enough for all they have done these past few weeks to ensure the care and safety of Mali and her twins. It has been incredible to watch them in action and witness the high level of expertise, professionalism and focus under pressure,” zoo director Ted Fox said. “The continued work and research that follows will significantly contribute to global research efforts on behalf of elephant care, Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV), and more.”

Visitors can see the elephant twins from 11 to 11:30 a.m. and 2 to 2:30 p.m. daily at the Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve.