Giant pandas coming to Canada

One of the most popular animals on the planet, the giant panda, will visit Canada from 2012 to 2026. Usually reluctant to relocate the endangered species, this rare visit is the culmination of more than 10 years of negotiations with China.

Two giant pandas will arrive in 2012 for a five-year residence at the Toronto Zoo, before moving for another five-year stay at the Calgary Zoo. Their final stay will be at Quebec’s Granby Zoo in 2022.

The arrival of two popular animals will be expensive since it will cost $1 million per year for the visit, in addition to the special custom habitat to be built at each of the three zoos, estimated at $10 million each. However, zoo officials estimate the bears can attract about 450,000 visitors and bring in $10 million yearly in ticket sales.

The giant panda is unique in the world and lives only in central China. There are approximately only 1,600 wild pandas and their survival is constantly threatened by human sprawl.