VIP guests get sneak preview of giant pandas at Toronto Zoo

A pair of giant pandas on a 10-year-loan to Canada were in the limelight Thursday, as they made their invitation-only debut to some important guests at the Toronto Zoo.

Ahead of its official public opening on Saturday, nearly 200 politicians, dignitaries and other VIPs flocked to the zoo to get a glimpse of the black and white superstars.

The brand new exhibits include the two panda bears' living space and a Panda Interpretive Center, which will be their home throughout their five-year stay in Toronto before heading off for another five years to the Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Alberta.

Although the debut was for both Er Shun, 5, and Da Mao, 4, only one of them made an appearance. Da Mao, completely in disregard of the big groups of people hovering around his new home, comfortably munched bamboos and played around with his toys before quickly falling asleep in front of his audience.

Calling it a proud day for all Canadians, the zoo's chief executive officer John Tracogna said it hasn't been easy getting to this stage.

"We're very excited. It was a lot of effort and planning for many years, and recently, the last 12 months, we had to build an exhibit from scratch, get all the permits to bring the giant pandas here," he said.

But all this is going to pay off, as the zoo is expecting the pandas to draw about 300,000 visitors in just the first year alone.

"We think that's conservative, 'cause we just know that the interest and pent-up demand is very strong in this region, and in the province, and also across the country," said Tracogna.

It was an especially emotional moment for Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, a long-time member of the zoo board. He has been working for nearly 13 years, travelling to China three times between 2001 and 2009, to bring the pandas to Toronto.

"This is one of my most memorable moments in my life, to know that we've succeeded and we worked the deal out with the Chinese government, our twinning zoos in China, and obviously our federal government," he said.

"It's been a long haul, but we're here, and now it's time to educate the children around the panda and to see the smiles on their faces when they see the pandas."

The pandas, which arrived in March on a special FedEx plane dubbed the "Panda Express," was greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and hundreds of dignitaries on the tarmac and are seen as a diplomatic symbol between the two countries.

Chinese ambassador Zhang Junsai said besides learning all about pandas and the importance of wildlife conservation, he hopes it will help Torontonians develop an understanding for the Chinese culture.

"Learning more about pandas, you've got to understand more of their hometown, that is China," said Zhang. "Canadians will get a better chance to know more about China's geography, customs, history, culture, economy and its society, as well as the peace-loving nature of (the) Chinese nation."

Pandamania at the Toronto Zoo can be traced back to 1985 when two giant pandas came for a three-month exhibit, breaking all previous attendance records.