3 Maned Wolf Pups Born at Little Rock Zoo

— -- Neither dogs nor foxes, two maned wolves with gorgeous red fur and live at the Little Rock Zoo are now proud parents. Three maned wolf pups were born at the zoo and announced today via Facebook.

The triplet pups -- two females and one male -- were born Dec. 21 but won't be displayed in the exhibit for another six weeks, the zoo said. They can't walk and are too young to venture out of the den box, said Kate Barszczowski, carnivore keeper at the Little Rock Zoo.

Two pups were named Rhett and Scarlet, inspired by the main characters in the classic "Gone With the Wind," while the third was named Joy, the middle name of a zoo caretaker who has their same birthday.

Visitors can catch an early glimpse of the 2-pound pups when their mother carries them into the exhibit in her mouth, Barszczowski told ABC News.

Right now, the pups spend the majority of their time being cared for by their mom, Gabby, while dad, Diego, stands guard. But Diego will be more involved as they get older, and the parents will raise them together as a family unit, the zoo said.

Barszczowski described Gabby as "protective" and said that Diego will soon begin to start playing with the pups.

"They will start walking in the next few weeks and will hopefully start playing," the zookeeper told ABC News, adding that they probably won't come out of the den box until the weather gets a little bit warmer.

Covered in black fur, the pups do not yet resemble their parents, Gabby and Diego, who the zoo describe as looking like "foxes on stilts" with their "thick red coats, tall erect ears, pointed muzzle and white-tipped tails." The maned wolves also have long, slender black legs.

Adult maned wolves are neither foxes nor wolves, the zoo said, but are their own distinct species. They are native to South America and eat fruit, vegetables, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians, as well as birds and insects. Gabby and Diego have a penchant for bananas, the zoo said.