Antelope Feared Extinct is Rediscovered in Angola

Of all the animals to lose, the giant sable antelope might seem be the most embarrassing. The mammal, which only lives in Angola and has horns that can grow to 1.5 metres long, was feared extinct. But an international team of scientists from the Leibniz-Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin have shown that the animal is hardier than anyone thought, having survived 30 years of civil war and unrest in its native country.

Christian Pitra of the IZW examined pictures from camera traps and genetic material from droppings and compared it with DNA-samples that came from museum specimens. "Our findings are of great importance for conservation. The giant sable antelope is not only the national symbol of Angola, it is also a flagship species for conservation."

The giant sable antelope was discovered in 1914 and was last sighted in Angola in 1982. Since then there had been rumors but no hard evidence that the animal still existed in Angola. When the IZW scientists confirmed that the DNA found in the dung they had collected matched the DNA of a giant sable they set up cameras to gather more direct evidence. These captured images of the giant sables regularly visiting parts of the Luando Integral Nature Reserve and the Cangandala National Park. One female pictured was clearly pregnant.

The results are published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research.

The antelope is endangered not only because of the war in Angola but because of the trophies that antlers make for hunters. Owners of game ranches in Angola offered large prizes for live animals - up to $1m (£575,000).

The ranchers wanted to interbreed the giant sable antelopes with the South African sable antelopes to breed animals with even longer horns. They would then have sold the rights to hunt them for substantial fees.