Panda twins' stay at Calgary Zoo extended until 2020

The Calgary Zoo'stwo giant panda cubs will be staying in Calgary a bit longer.

Twins Jia PanPan, a male,and Jia YueYue, a female, were set to board a plane forChengdu sometime after Oct. 6.

Now, the Zoo says the cubs are extending their visit in the city until early 2020.

"We are fortunate to have such an experienced team at the Calgary Zoo, dedicated to co-ordinating transportation and logistics for our beloved animals safely and effectively," read a Facebook post by the zoo on Monday.

The cubs, who came to Calgary with two adult pandas in March 2018, are now almost four years old. That's the age when, according to the agreement with China, the pandas are due to return to participate in the country's breeding program.

The zoo had thrown a farewell party for the pandas earlier this month,raising funds for giant panda conservation.

The twins' mother, Er Shun, and an adult male panda,Dao Mao, will stay in the Panda Passage at the zoo until 2023.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, giant pandas areno longer considered endangered but are still labelled as vulnerable.

You can watch a live stream from the zoo's Panda Passage habitat here.