ADELAIDE, Australia -- The only pair of giant pandas in the Southern Hemisphere, Wang Wang and Fu Ni, will leave Adelaide Zoo on Friday morning and return to China.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said here on Thursday at a farewell reception for the pandas that over the past 15 years, China and Australia had achieved significant progress in panda conservation, disease prevention, and healthcare.

Wang Wang and Fu Ni had been exceptionally well-cared for, thanks to the dedication and hard work of zoo staff, who had provided them with a safe and warm home for healthy growth, he added.

China and Australia launched a joint program for the conservation and research of giant pandas in 2009, when Wang Wang and Fu Ni arrived at Adelaide Zoo, becoming the only pair of giant pandas in the Southern Hemisphere.