Sable Antelope, (Hippotragus niger), some of the most graceful creatures on earth, are often hunted for their unique and attractive horns. There are four subspecies of Sable Antelope and most are considered vulnerable to extinction. Survival for the Giant Sable Antelope has been even more challenging following the Angolan Civil War when they were hunted for food and their habitat was destroyed.
Physical Appearance
The female Sable Antelope is light to dark brown, but her fur grows darker with age. Males are a brilliant black. Males and females both have white bellies, cheeks and chins, and shaggy manes on the backs of their necks. Both sexes have ringed horns that extend backward. They are generally four feet tall, and males are taller than females. Their lifespan is 18 years.
Lifestyle
Sable antelope live in savanna woodlands and grasslands and eat grass and leaves. They live in herds of ten to thirty females and their calves, all led by one male, or bull. Young males leave the herd when they reach three years old and live in bachelor herds, but the females remain. When the herd becomes too large, it divides into smaller herds and the dominate male from the bachelor herd leaves his bachelor brothers and takes over as leader of the new herd of females. Unlike other animals, fights for supremacy between bachelors rarely lead to serious harm to the combatants.
The Sable Antelope in Battle
There are times, however, when serious harm is inflicted by the Sable Antelope, such as when the herd is threatened by a predator. Sable Antelope are known to be fierce protectors of their family members. When threatened, they will drop to their knees and use their long, sharp horns like swords. Sable Antelope often win these battles, even against large, powerful predators like lions and alligators, but it is human poachers and the destruction of the Sable Antelope's habitat that has brought this species to endangered levels.
The Importance of the Giant Sable Antelope to the People of Angola
According to the Ohio State University Department of Art Education, the Sable Antelope is revered for its grace and speed and represents the mystery and power of the spirit world in African mythology. The Giant Sable Antelope, or Hippotragus niger variani, is also the national symbol of Angola. Artistic representations of the Giant Sable Antelope are displayed on numerous stamps, banknotes, and the Angolan passport. The Palancas Negras, Angola's national soccer team, is named in honor of the Giant Sable Antelope.
The Angolan Civil War
The Giant Sable Antelope, or Hippotragus niger variani, lives between the Cuango and Luanda Rivers in Angola. In 1975, Civil War broke out in Angola and lasted for 27 years. Prior to the war, the Giant Sable Antelope was already classified as a vulnerable species. The effects of the war on Angola were devastating and much of the Giant Sable Antelope's natural habitat was completely destroyed. The Giant Sable Antelope was believed to be extinct until 2004 when a group of students from the Catholic University of Angola (UCAN) led by Dr. Pedro vaz Pinto photographed remaining herds using hidden cameras in the National Park of Cangandala. This discovery brought renewed hope to the people of Angola as they struggled to recover from the war.
Saving the Giant Sable Antelope
Researchers soon learned that some of the remaining Giant Sable Antelope herds were led by males that were not Giant Sables and were producing hybrid offspring. Working closely with the Angolan government, they were able to locate a Giant Sable male, introduce him into a herd of "pure" cows, and convince the females to follow his lead, then organize government protection for the animals from poachers. Researchers are expecting the first Giant Sable Antelope purebred calves in May of 2010.
Sources:
- "African Storytelling." Ohio State University Department of Art Education. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- "Angola: Three More Giant Sable Antelopes Relocated to Cangandala National Park." All Africa.com. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- Huffman, Brent. "Hippotragus niger." The Ultimate Ungulate: Your Guide to the World's Hoofed Mammals. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- "Outstanding Rescue of the Giant Sable Antelope!" IUCN Species Survival Commission Antelope Specialist Group. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
Darla Sue Dollman - Darla Sue Dollman, BA, MFA, has expertise in classic films, the Old West, boating, and animals.
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