Giant pandas coming to Toronto zoo this month

The Toronto Zoo is about to welcome two giant pandas from China at the end of this month.

A five-year-old female, Er Shun, and a four-year-old male, Da Mao, are expected to arrive in Toronto on March 25, the zoo announced in a release.

The pandas will spend five years in Toronto, followed by five years in Calgary.

The pair, which are coming to Canada as part of aconservation partnership agreement with China, were chosen because they are a good genetic match for breeding.

"We are honoured to host the pandas at the Toronto Zoo and contribute to the survival of the species for generations to come," said John Tracogna, the chief executive of the zoo.

If the two pandas successfully breed, their offspring will remain in Toronto until there is approval to move them.

The pandas will call the Eurasia Pavilion home for the next five years.

To welcome the giant pandas, staff at the Toronto Zoo put together their version of the popular, Harlem Shake.