Adelaide Zoo’s newest furry residents, Wang Wang and Funi, are expected to generate more than $600 million for South Australia.

Chinese pandas Wang Wang and Funi, who arrived at the zoo on Saturday, are part of a global giant panda genetic breeding program and will be calling Australia home for 10 years.

''The pandas can be expected to generate $632 million for the state economy over 10 years” Zoos South Australia chief executive Chris West told the Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday.

''Each year [the pandas] could generate significantly more economic benefits than the much-vaunted appearances by Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong.''

He added that the zoo expected the pandas to generate huge visitor numbers as they are the only ones of their kind currently in the southern hemisphere.

Singapore Airlines Cargo was the official carrier of the pandas, flying them into Adelaide from their home in Chengdu, China on Saturday.

Wang Wang and Funi were given first-class treatment onboard, with several panda specialists at their service and 100kg of bamboo at paw’s reach.

The carrier also adjusted the main deck temperatures at each leg of the trip to acclimatise the pandas to Adelaide’s warmer temperatures.

Wang Wang and Funi’s first public appearance is scheduled to be on December 13 when their new home officially opens.