Places to Explore: The Toronto Zoo

Located in Toronto, Ontario, the Toronto Zoo -- Canada's largest zoo -- is a must for tourist and locals alike.

In addition to the over 5,000 animals currently in residence, the Toronto Zoo recently welcomed their first panda cubs, who made their first public debut today (March 7)!

Toronto Zoo's baby pandas

Named Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue (whose names translate to Canadian Hope and Canadian Joy), the twin pandas celebrated their 100th birthday today, meaning they have officially survived infancy.

With over 450 distinct species of animals, the Toronto Zoo is known for its dedication to preserving endangered species from around the world, successfully breeding and releasing many Canadian animals back into the wild.

The zoo is also a key part of the Species Survival Plans for dozens of other creatures, including the western lowland gorilla, Sumatran orangutan, golden lion tamarin, Sumatran tiger, Siberian tiger, snow leopard, cheetah, Przewalski's horse, Indian rhinoceros, Matschie's tree-kangaroo, African penguin, and the Komodo dragon.

While Panpan and Yueyue aren't yet on display, you can catch their parents Er Shun and Da Mao (who are on loan from China) until the spring of 2018.

Image courtesy of Twitter.