The Toronto Zoo will host a pair of giant pandas from China for a five-year period as part of an arrangement that hints at the growing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The loan of giant pandas by the Chinese government is seen by experts as a type of diplomatic currency.
Word about the loan came Thursday during Prime Minister Stephen Harper's visit to China, which is mainly focused on energy export concerns.
"Following agreement by Canada and China, the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens will sign an agreement with the Toronto and Calgary zoos to provide a pair of giant pandas for 10 years of collaborative research on conservation," said a joint statement issued by the Canadian and Chinese governments.
A formal announcement is expected Saturday when Harper makes a stop in the Chinese city of Chongqing and visits the Panda Room of the city’s zoo.
The pandas are expected to spend 10 years in Canada and split their time equally between the Toronto and Calgary zoos.
A Toronto Zoo spokesperson told CTV News that while it has nothing to say officially at this time, a statement will be coming in the near future with details about the pandas' stay.
The Toronto Zoo hasn't hosted giant pandas, which are considered an endangered species, since 1985.
With files from The Canadian Press
