Stuffed specimens at the American Natural History Museum, New York City
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Artiodactyla
Family:
Bovidae
Subfamily:
Hippotraginae
Genus:
Hippotragus
Species:
H. niger
Subspecies:
H. n. variani
Trinomial name
Hippotragus niger variani
Thomas, 1916
Geographic range
The giant sable antelope or royal sable antelope (Hippotragus niger variani), also known in Portuguese as the palanca-negra-gigante, is a large, rare subspecies of the sable antelope native and endemic to the region between the Cuango and Luando Rivers in Angola.
There was a great degree of uncertainty regarding the number of animals that survived during the Angolan Civil War. In January 2004, a group from the Centro de Estudos e Investigação Científica of the Catholic University of Angola, led by Dr. Pedro Vaz Pinto, was able to obtain photographic evidence of one of the remaining herds from a series of trap cameras installed in the Cangandala National Park, south of Malanje.
The giant sable antelope is the national symbol of Angola, and is held in a great regard by its people. This was perhaps one of the reasons the animals survived the long civil war. In African mythology, just like other antelopes, they symbolize vivacity, velocity, beauty and visual sharpness.
The giant sable antelope is evaluated as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. As of 2021 they reportedly only have a population of 300, 100 of which are living in Cangandala National Park.[3]
^IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2017). "Hippotragus niger ssp. variani". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T10169A50188611. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T10169A50188611.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is critically endangered.
The giantsableantelope or royal sableantelope (Hippotragus niger variani), also known in Portuguese as the palanca-negra-gigante, is a large, rare subspecies...
GiantSable may refer to: Giantsableantelope, a subgenus of antelopeGiantSable rabbit, a breed of rabbit This disambiguation page lists articles associated...
nyala. A number of subspecies are also endangered, including the giantsableantelope and the mhorr gazelle. The main causes for concern for these species...
likely due to increased poaching and human habitat encroachment. The giantsableantelope is a major national symbol of Angola. While it once could be found...
A grazing antelope is any of the species of antelope that make up the subfamily Hippotraginae or tribe Hippotragini of the family Bovidae. As grazers,...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola. pp. 146–148. Tvedten, Inge (1997). Angola: Struggle for...
area include a number of bird species and mammals including the giantsableantelope. Endemic mammals include Vernay's climbing mouse (Dendromus vernayi)...
in 1925 and collected 1,200 mammal specimens, including the rare giantsableantelope. In 1935, he married the widow of a close friend. He died in Pretoria...
Frederick, A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola, New York: Grove Press, ISBN 0-8021-4068-8 (2004), p. 143:...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola. pp. 146–148. Abbott, Peter; Manuel Ribeiro Rodrigues (1988)...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola. p. 143. ISBN 9780802140685. Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (1988)...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope. Grove Press. ISBN 978-0-8021-4068-5. Hill, Alexander (2021). ""We...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola. Grove Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-8021-4068-5. Claiborne...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola. p. 146. Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges; Immanuel Maurice Wallerstein...
130–140 cm (51–55 in). The roan antelope shares the genus Hippotragus with the extinct bluebuck (H. leucophaeus) and the sableantelope (H. niger), and is a member...
Bubalus quarlesi Indonesia E Giantsableantelope Hippotragus niger variani Angola E Argali Ovis ammon Eurasia E Giant armadillo Priodontes maximus South...
during an attack. A similar defense strategy is found in today's giantsableantelope and Arabian oryx, which can use their long, backwards directed horns...
D. and R. K. Estes. (1974). The biology and conservation of the giantsableantelope, Hippotragus niger variani Thomas, 1916. Proceedings of the Academy...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola. pp. 146–148. "EISA Angola: First civil war (1975-1992)"...
Studying the "Amerind" ... And Butterflies Around New-york--magnificent Antelopes and Corals". New-York Tribune. September 17, 1899. p. 30. ISSN 1941-0646...
originally established under Portuguese rule in 1963 to protect the GiantSableAntelope, before being declared a national park on 25 June 1970. Up to 1991...
The giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus), also known as the Lord Derby's eland and greater eland, is an open-forest and savanna antelope. A species of...
(2004). A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the GiantSableAntelope of Angola. p. 143. ISBN 9780802140685. (in Portuguese) António Pires...
Portuguese authorities on 25 June 1970, it was founded to protect the GiantSableAntelope which were discovered in 1963. As far as religious buildings are...
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