Wang Wang and Fu Ni have not conceived during more than a decade at Adelaide Zoo, sparking speculation they may be replaced
Australia’s giant pandas – having failed to breed – could be swapped out for a new pair.
Chinese premier Li Qiang is expected to make an announcement about the future of the rare bears when he visits South Australia on the weekend.
Wang Wang and Fu Ni arrived at Adelaide Zoo in 2009, and the decade-long contract has been extended to the end of this year. But, year after year, the notoriously sex-shy creatures have failed to conceive.
Not that that is their only job – they are also part of international panda diplomacy, and a public relations exercise for wildlife conservation.
The Zoos SA chief executive officer, Elaine Bensted, told ABC Adelaide that the options on the table were “that we don’t get to keep giant pandas in Adelaide, that we keep Wang Wang and Fu Ni, or that Wang Wang and Fu Ni return to China and some new pandas arrive”.
“We’re still in those discussions… Our preference has always been that we keep giant pandas in Adelaide,” she said.
Zoos SA declined further interviews but Bensted said in a statement that she was “encouraged by the continued talks with the China Wildlife Conservation Association regarding the future of giant pandas at Adelaide Zoo”.
Both are nearing the age of 20. The oldest panda to have given birth was 23.
On Tuesday, the prime minister, Anthony, Albanese said he didn’t want to pre-empt any decision but that his government was “pro-panda”.
“We like panda bears and so do, I reckon, Australians,” he said.
