Imagine nearly losing your national animal to poaching. That’s what almost happened in Angola. This story is like something out of a wildlife documentary—a rare animal on the brink of extinction, and a team of passionate conservationists racing against time to save it.
According to CNN on Friday (18/10/2024), Angola almost lost its iconic giant sable antelope, a majestic beast with long, spiraling horns and a muscular frame. This animal is found nowhere else but Angola, and its population dwindled to just a few hundred, teetering on the edge of extinction.
Despite the odds, this massive antelope is now a conservation success story, pulled back from the brink by the hard work of dedicated conservationists.
The Giant Sable Antelope: Angola’s National Treasure
The giant sable antelope, first discovered in the early 20th century, became a symbol of national pride for Angola. But with those impressive horns, it quickly caught the eye of poachers.
Things took a dramatic turn in 1975 when Angola plunged into a brutal civil war following its independence from Portugal. The war raged for 27 years, devastating the country’s wildlife—including the giant sable.
The First Mission: Are There Any Left?
Armed with little more than hope, they traveled to Cangandala National Park, where locals had reported sightings. They set up camera traps over a 630-square-kilometer area, waiting for any sign of life.
A year later, they got the photos they were hoping for—a small population had survived. But there was a catch. All the antelopes captured on camera were female. Uh-oh.
“We were staring at an extinction vortex happening right before our eyes,” Vaz Pinto recalled.
The Rescue Operation
Vaz Pinto wasted no time setting up the Giant Sable Conservation Project to protect and repopulate the species. With no males in sight at Cangandala, he and his team turned their attention to Luando Integral Reserve, a remote area where the giant sable had once thrived.
And in 2009, the breakthrough came. DNA samples from dung revealed the existence of at least one male in Luando. That was all Vaz Pinto needed to hear. He and his team hopped in a helicopter and went on the hunt.
And guess what? They found not just one male, but six more.
One of the males was flown to Cangandala to be introduced to the females in a fenced sanctuary—nature’s version of a dating service.
The Fight Continues
Vaz Pinto’s team monitors them with GPS collars and drones to keep an eye on the wild populations still roaming Luando.
But the battle isn’t over yet. The team works around the clock to protect the remaining five herds with real-time GPS tracking.
Before Angola’s independence, the giant sable population was around 2,000 to 2,500. Vaz Pinto hopes to see the population reach 500 in the short term, and maybe even 1,000 to 1,500 in the long run.
So, while the giant sable antelope might not be out of the woods yet (pun intended), their story shows that even in the face of overwhelming odds, there’s always hope.