Melbourne Zoo is celebrating the arrival of not one, but three litters of Coatis; undeniably the sweetest member of the Raccoon family.

This means the zoo has welcomed 21 baby Coatis in total - its largest single arrival of the species in 15 years. The baby boom came about when a group of four adult females and one male moved to the zoo recently.

For those unfamiliar with the little furry animals, Coatis can usually be found in Arizona, Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Ecuador. They are known for their climbing skills, and can often be seen descending trees head first, using their long tails to keep balance as they're climbing.

In the wild, mummy Coatis will typically keep the newborns safe in the nest for six to 10 weeks, before letting them venture out into the big wide world. At Melbourne Zoo however, the little ones have been cocooned in nesting boxes as they were getting ready to be examined, vaccinated, and micro-chipped.

You wouldn't want to lose track of all that cuteness, would you?

Enjoy the photos, above and below.

Words: Elodie Russo, picture credit: Rex Features

Coati baby boom at Melbourne zoo