“We had several good developments in Cangandala. Firstly, and quite unexpectedly, old Duarte not only survived but made a sensational recovery. Only a few weeks after we had left him in shocking condition, we found him in great shape and looking after his girls.”
The sable bull carcass; A carcassa da palanca morta.
“If things went smoothly in Cangandala, it was however very different in Luando Reserve where poaching seems to be rampant, and we were faced with a number of shocking cases to illustrate this, in spite of the desperate efforts from the giant sable shepherds. Two shepherds on patrol were shot at by poachers and on a second occasion managed to apprehend a rifle, as the poacher escaped and left the weapon behind. Plenty of snare traps are being found and dismantled on a regular basis, but arguably the most shocking incident was when, during a routine patrol, the shepherds found a dead body of a freshly killed giant sable bull.”
Visit our Giant Sable page to read biologist Pedro Vaz Pinto’s Fourth Trimester 2012 Report with photos from Angola’s Cangandala Park, in English and Portuguese.
Biologist Pedro Vaz Pinto presented an update on Angola’s endangered giant sable (palanca negra gigante) to an audience of over 150 members of the Angola Field Group on October 25, 2012.
Audience hears the latest about the giant sable.
In the following video (part one of two) Pedro Vaz Pinto provides an overview of the giant sable including the history and place in Angola’s culture and environment today:
In the following video (part two of two) Pedro Vaz Pinto discusses the 2003 launch of the Giant Sable Project and Conservation Initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Environment – the project’s original objective was to locate the giant sable; the creation of the Shepherd Program in 2004; the publication in 2005 of the first photos of giant sable taken since 1982; information about the hybridaztion of the species that has taken place in Cangandala plus more Giant Sable project highlights up to 2008. Since 2009, the bulk of the project’s activities are being implemented by the Kissama Foundation and the main priority now is conservation of the giant sable.
2010: The first two calves were born in Cangandala and a new fenced camp of 2400 was created (in the process 10 hybrids were inadvertantedly caught inside).
2011: A new camp of 400 ha was built and a new capture operation was launched; hyrbids were confined in a third camp. The team managed to catch and bring 6 new young females from Luando reserve: three two-year olds and three one-year olds. Two new bulls were also brought in: a young male and one ‘at the prime of life’ named ‘Ivan the Terrible’ due to his uncontrollable nature. Ivan eventually killed the young male and broke through the fence. A third calf was produced.
2012: Two females died of old age; one female became pregnant again and the first calf born in 2010 is now preparing to take over the herd. Currently poaching is the main threat to the giant sable. Snares and pit traps are widely used causing severe trauma and death. A staggering 15% of adult animals captured or photographed had nasty leg injuries caued by traps. About 75% of the Luando reserve is devoid of sables and less than 80 are estimated to survive. The total number of giant sable left is less than one hundred animals making it one of the most critically endangered mammals in the world.
Plan for 2013: Up to twenty giant sable should be darted and released with VHF and GPS tracking devices for monitoring. Infrastructure should be built in Cangandala and the breeding program monitored. Ongoing genetic and ecological research will continue and be reinforced.
To read Pedro Vaz Pinto’s quarterly reports on the Giant Sable Project visit the Giant Sable page on this website.
Pedro Vaz Pinto at the presentation.
Edible, wild mushrooms fresh from Cangandala Park pop up during the rainy season.
Newly posted, Pedro Vaz Pinto’s first trimester report from Candangala 2012.
The three first offspring in Cangandala breeding program.
Theresa “is our main star, being the likely mother of three hybrids and having had now three pure calves just over two years of confinement – an exceptional performance!”
Clickhereto read the report on our Giant Sable page.
Newly posted, Pedro Vaz Pinto’s report of this August’s Giant Sable Capture Operation. Click here to read the Second Semester Report 2011 in English and Portuguese and see some stunning images of the operation in action.
“There must be no doubt that this magnificent creature is in desperate condition, on the verge of extinction.”
The largest giant sable herd, led by the dominant bull.
“As result of the last few months’ efforts we know now much better than ever before, the real situation on the ground. I believe we know how many herds there are left, exactly where they are all located, how many animals in each herd, and even the detailed population structure. There must be no doubt that this magnificent creature is in desperate condition, on the verge of extinction.”
The shepherds setting fire on a poacher's camp in Luando.
“What does come across very clearly is that not only was excessive poaching that reduced the giant sable population to the current condition, but also it is still very active at the moment and has been impacting the population very severely during the last few years.”
Logistics provided by the Angolan Air Force.
“With assistance from the military forces we are implementing action against poaching but also preventive measures against animal theft attempts.”
Not all is bad news in Pedro’s report. More pure giant sable are captured in the Luando Reserve and taken to Cangandala National Park …
Trying to put Ivan on the stretcher to be hand carried to the MI-17!
“It took us 10 men and an enormous effort to carry that beast on a stretcher across 300 meters of tall dead grass, hidden termite mounds and fallen wood. It’s a shame we couldn’t weigh the bull but most guys agreed he may weigh well over 300kg.”
The difference in size is immense.
“The operation was a huge success. We managed to establish a new breeding group in Cangandala, including a new bull and six young females.”
The majestic Giant Sable, you see it everywhere – it’s the symbol of the national airline, the name of Angola’s national football team, oil companies love to logo it, hotels and restaurants splash it on their walls, but up until recently Angola’s most famous animal was thought to be headed for extinction as all evidence showed the remaining few females breeding with another subspecies in the absence of male Giant Sable.
Giant Sable or Palanca Negra Gigante, which boasts the longest horns of any antelope in the world, exists nowhere else in the world except in the province of Malange. Did only females of the species survive Angola’s long civil war?
Now finally, the report we’ve been waiting for….. hot off the press, the latest update with photos of the exciting three-week Palanca Negra Capture Operation recently completed in Angola’s Cangandala National Park in the province of Malange. The good news is that males of the species have been located and one has been transported to the park to breed with the pure females that have now been placed in a protected enclosure so as to ensure survival of the animal that is the flagship of this country. Click here to read all about the Capture Operation in English or Portuguese in the July & September section of our Palanca Negra page ….
#Luanda today's heavy rains subsided but in musseques Edel keeps
electricity turned off to prevent electrocution from dropped wires
till dry 1 month ago
