A Caesarean-section has been performed on a shark for the first time ever at SeaWorld, Orlando.
The whitetip reef shark was successfully delivered of four healthy pups, thanks to the efforts of the park's team of shark experts and vets.
The groundbreaking procedure was carried out at Discovery Cove in Orlando on 18 July, Inside Conservation reveals.
Vets at SeaWorld Orlando perform a Caesarean-section on a whitetip reef shark
The team had noticed a complication with the shark's pregnancy around six months in, and decided to intervene.
The pups each weigh just under 3lbs and were around 2ft long each.
"The Discovery Cove animal team and vets are continuing to monitor mom and her pups, who are doing well and eating and behaving normally," SeaWorld told CFNews 13.
A vet with two of the four new babies
Whitetip reef sharks - Trianodon obesus - are reported to grow up to 2.3m in length and can live for up to 25 years, MarineBio.org explains.
They are typically found in tropical marine waters.