Toronto Zoo talks pandas at board meeting.
York West Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti sits beside a giant panda during a visit to China he made in 2009. The Toronto Zoo board talked pandas at its meeting on Feb. 2. An announcement that China will be sending pandas to Canadian zoos is expected to be made in the near future.
Photo/COURTESY
Pandas were on the agenda at Thursday's Toronto Zoo board meeting, but just what exactly was discussed remains under wraps.
A media report published Thursday, Feb. 2, said two pandas will be heading to the Toronto Zoo and that Prime Minister Stephen Harper is set to make the announcement next week while on a three-day trip to China.
Speaking with reporters following Thursday's meeting, Scarborough East Councillor Paul Ainslie, vice-chair of the Toronto Zoo board of management, would not say what was discussed during the in-camera session about a "special exhibit."
"I can't confirm it was pandas," he said.
However, Scarborough-Rouge River Councillor Raymond Cho did confirm it to Toronto Community News on his way out of the board room. He added he couldn't divulge the details, but the board was speaking about pandas.
"It's good news," was all he said.
The Toronto Zoo has been working for 12 years to bring pandas to the zoo.
In 2010, Zoo CEO John Tracogna said there was a signed letter of intent between the Chinese government and three Canadian zoos to bring two breeding pandas to Canada for 15 years. (The other two zoos are in Calgary and Granby, Quebec).
Ainslie said a final agreement is close.
"All signs are it's imminent," he said. "It's getting close."
Pandas are a popular animal at zoos - docile, distinctive and extremely rare, particularly in North American zoos. Ainslie said when the zoo last had pandas in 1985, they were a big draw.
The cost to build a facility for the pandas at the Toronto Zoo is expected to be $8 to $10 million. The goal is to find private sponsors so the city doesn't have to foot the bill.
Ainslie said the zoo will have the space available and staff is ready to get preparations underway - all they need is the final agreement.
"As soon as we can get that agreement signed we're going to be directing staff," he said.
Back in 2010 when York West Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, a former zoo board member, was pushing to bring pandas to Toronto it was estimated their five year run in the city would begin in 2012. That time line might be optimistic now.
A popular exhibit like pandas might be just what the zoo needs to bring visitors back after attendance was down in 2011 and the zoo will be saying goodbye to its popular elephant exhibit sometime soon.