Angola Field Group

The last months of 2014 saw some interesting visitors to Cangandala National Park and the Luando Reserve, the two protected terriitories of Angola’s Giant Sable.

An evening storm visits  Luando Reserve

The storm arrived before sunset; A tempestade chegou antes do por-do-sol.

A python! visits one of the salinas in Cangandala Park

Incredible scene: a python on the ambush, and a very nervous hybrid female!!! Cena incrível: uma jibóia emboscada, e uma fêmea híbrida muito nervosa!!!

Two young females visiting together

Two young girl calves; Duas jovens crias fêmeas.

It is well known that calves tend to stay most of the day in crèches, but even as they grow a young sable seems to prefer the company of same sex and age individuals than to follow his/her mother.

And a warthog who just visited his favourite mud hole!

Warthog male after his daily mud bath; Macho de facochero depois do seu banho de lama diário.

And Mercury came for a visit back home! Now “a mighty imposing black bull with massive horns”, who after one year of adventurous dispersal outside of the sanctuary, has returned.

And Mercury again!; E o Mercúrio novamente!

His (Mercury’s) behavior suggests that he is more interested in establishing a territory inside the sanctuary than escorting females on a permanent basis, leaving that task for the subdominant Eolo. If confirmed this may provide new insights into dominance and territorial behavior of sable bulls.

Read biologist Pedro Vaz Pinto’s full Fourth Trimester 2014 Report with photos from Angola’s Cangandala Park and Luando Reserve, in English and Portuguese on our Giant Sable page.