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Two giant pandas were greeted by a fanfare worthy of royalty, with Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper on hand to greet the animals as they touched down in the Canadian city of Toronto on Monday.
STANDUP: PHOEBE HO, CNC CORRESPONDENT
"It's been a very long journey for Er Shun and Da Mao, but the pair are expected to arrive any moment now here at the FedEx hangar in a very special panda plane. Now there are hundreds of people that are waiting patiently for them, and that includes Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife, a number of dignitaries and a whole lot of media."
The "Panda Express", a FedEx Express Canada MD-11 aircraft, landed at around 10:47 a.m. with the precious cargo after a nearly 13,000 km journey from Chengdu, China.
The pair of furry ambassadors, on loan for a 10-year agreement from China to Canada, arrived in style.
Seen as a symbol of Canada and China's blossoming relationship, they were immediately welcomed into the country with a national anthem performed by a group of high school students, who travelled over 450 km from Ottawa for the ceremony.
Harper and his wife, the Chinese ambassador to Canada, and all the dignitaries and guests waited on the edge of their seats for the pairs' debut while the crew unloaded their crates.
First off the plane was Da Mao, a four-year-old male panda, and then his prospective five-year-old female partner Er Shun.
They are the country's esteemed guests, but their arrival protocol is a bit different from other two-legged dignitaries. Harper had to sign for the precious cargo to make it official, a moment he said he won't soon forget.
SOUNDBITE: STEPHEN HARPER, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER
"It's not everyday in your life you get to sign for pandas."
It's a moment many have been waiting for since Harper officially announced the loan after his visit to China in 2012.
Referring to the giant pandas as "symbols of peace and friendship" between the two countries on Monday, Harper said the arrival of Er Shun and Da Mao will help promote and deepen their bilateral relationship.
SOUNDBITE: STEPHEN HARPER, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER
"Canada and China are strategic partners, we enjoy an active economic relationship and strong people-to-people ties. Over the coming years, these pandas will help us learn more about one another while serving as a reminder of our deepening relationship, a relationship based on mutual respect and growing collaborations."
The Chinese ambassador Zhang Junsai, who was also on hand at the ceremony, dubbed the pandas as VIPS, or "Very Important Pandas".
He joked about the difference between his arrival to Ottawa two years ago, in comparison with the pandas' big welcoming ceremony.
SOUNDBITE: ZHANG JUNSAI, CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO CANADA
"Er Shun and Da Mao, the two new envoys of friendship from China are accorded with such a grand welcoming ceremony. But instead of being jealous, I'm thrilled and overjoyed."
The pandas will be staying at the Toronto Zoo for their first five years in the country, before heading to the Calgary Zoo for the remainder of the 10-year agreement.
STANDUP: PHOEBE HO, CNC CORRESPONDENT
"Er Shun and Da Mao are inside the FedEx facility right now being cleared by customs as we speak. Now this was the only chance the media was going to get a sneak peak of the pandas before they go into a 30-day quarantine. Now the first chance the public will get to meet the pandas is expected to be sometime in May at the Toronto Zoo."
After the ceremony, the pandas were escorted by a convoy in their customized FedEx Panda Express trucks to the Toronto Zoo where they will meet each other for the very first time.
The hope is that the pair will eventually breed panda cubs, which would lengthen their stay.
The last time pandas were seen at the Toronto Zoo was during a three-month exhibit in 1985.
The new pair of pandas who arrived on Monday are expected to make their first public appearance at the zoo's special Giant Panda Exhibit around May 18th.
The two pandas left Chengdu Monday at 4:45 a.m. local time.
According to Fedex, 100 kgs of bamboo, 150 kgs of bamboo shoots, 50 kg of apples and 15 kgs of fresh water were carried onboard to ensure an enjoyable journey for the pandas across the pacific.
The plane made a refuelling stop in Vancouver before heading to Toronto.
