On November 14, the Chinese Consulate-General in Adelaide and Adelaide Zoo jointly hosted a farewell event for the giant pandas “Wang Wang” (19 years old) and “Fu Ni” (18 years old), who will depart for China early on November 15 (How Do Overseas Giant Pandas Return to China?).
At the event, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian remarked that the Sino-Australian giant panda conservation and research collaboration began in 2009. Since then, “Wang Wang” and “Fu Ni” have made their home at Adelaide Zoo, becoming the only giant panda pair in the Southern Hemisphere. Over the past 15 years, the two countries have achieved significant progress in panda conservation, disease prevention, and treatment. Beloved by Australians, “Wang Wang” and “Fu Ni” have become some of the zoo’s most popular stars and a symbol of the deep friendship between China and Australia.
Zoe Bettison, South Australia’s Minister for Tourism and Multicultural Affairs, expressed during her speech that Australian children adore “Wang Wang” and “Fu Ni,” and the pandas have created a strong bond with the Australian people. She called on the world to continue focusing on panda conservation and pledged that Australia would maintain cooperation with China in this area.
Alia Hayward, a panda keeper at Adelaide Zoo who has cared for the pair for 15 years, shared that every day with the pandas has been magical. She said, “‘Wang Wang’ and ‘Fu Ni’ will always be members of our zoo family. We will never forget them.” Additionally, a group of young girls from Pulteney Grammar School performed a Chinese song to bid farewell to the pandas.
“Wang Wang” and “Fu Ni” initially completed their 10-year stay in 2019, but their visit was extended for an additional five years, concluding this year.
