Federal Labor promises to keep pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni in Adelaide

It’s a move designed to pander to SA voters — Federal Labor has pledged to keep giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni at Adelaide Zoo — if Bill Shorten becomes the next Prime Minster.

• Adelaide’s giant pandas set to leave SA

Adelaide’s beloved giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni would continue to call South Australia home if Bill Shorten becomes the next Prime Minster.

The Adelaide Zoo announced during the week the giant pandas had again failed to become parents and were set to be shipped back to China unless the Federal Government steps in.

But South Australian Labor MPs Penny Wong and Steve Georganas have told the Sunday Mail that a Bill Shorten-led government will pay to keep the huge tourist attractions in Adelaide for five more years.

Senator Wong told the Sunday Mail: “As one of just 22 zoos worldwide to host pandas and the only location in Australasia, all South Australians are proud the pandas have called Adelaide home for more than a decade.

“Like so many South Australian kids, our daughters love seeing the pandas,” Senator Wong said.

“Labor will make sure these two wonderful animals can continue to be a very special and much loved part of our city.”

Is this Federal Labor’s gift to undecided SA voters? Picture: Mike Burton/AAP

Mr Georganas, the current MHA of Hindmarsh who will contest the seat of Adelaide at the next election said the pandas were a huge hit with his grandchildren who regularly request to visit them when he is on “Papou (grandpa) duties”.

Zoos SA acting chief executive Sarah Brown welcomed Labor’s commitment.

“Since Giant Pandas arrived in 2009, Adelaide Zoo welcomed more than 3.8 million visitors and we know from economic analysis that having pandas in South Australia has generated $33.5 million in economic output in 2010,” Ms Brown said.

“Wang Wang and Fu Ni have been consistently popular drawcards to SA in the last nine years, with many visitors travelling from all over the country and world to see them.

The Zoo said last week that based on hormone tests and behavioural observations, the window had passed during which time Fu Ni would have given birth.

It is the fifth time the zoo believes Fu Ni has had a pseudo pregnancy.

Labor’s commitment will all but guarantee the pandas will continue to call Adelaide home with the Sunday Mail understanding senior Liberals are also working on a plan to keep Wang Wang and Fu Ni in their adopted home.