Poachers pose a threat to survival of the giant sable

By: ABSALOM SHIGWEDHA

Angola's giant sable antelope

POACHING is threatening Angola’s national symbol, the giant sable antelope, with extinction.

The antelope barely survived three decades of civil war, the head of the Giant Sable Conservation Project based at Cangandala National Park, Pedro Vaz Pinto, said recently.
Vaz Pinto, who last year made a presentation in Windhoek on the rediscovery of the Angolan giant sable, told Reuters this month that poaching since the war has cut the population of giant sables in the park by 50 per cent to one herd of 10 to 15 animals.
And Vaz Pinto fears that this very low number may not sustain even occasional poaching. He said poaching is now the greatest threat to an already dwindling population.
The Giant Sable Conservation Project is based at Cangandala National Park, while some animals were also found in the Luando Nature Reserve.
The project started in 2003 and uses remote cameras triggered by an infrared beam to search for the animals. Vaz Pinto said he has enlisted local shepherds who patrol for poachers and he plans to continue bringing in more manpower and technology to help track and conserve the animals.
He hopes 2009 will be a decisive year in the recovery of this national symbol.
Many people assumed that 27 years of civil war had wiped out the species because there had been no confirmed sighting since 1982.
Locally known as Palanca Negra, Angolans across the country view the antelope as a mystical, almost sacred creature and this helped it to protect it from poachers.
The striking curved horns of the adult male, which can grow up to 165 cm long, appear on the logo of the country’s airline (TAAG) and the national football team.