Royal sable antelope, Palanca-negra-gigante (Portuguese)
The Giant sable antelope (Hippotragus niger variani) is a large, rare subspecies of the Sable antelope native and endemic to Angola. It is the national symbol of Angola and is held in 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.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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BrowsingBrowsing is a type of herbivory in which an herbivore (or, more narrowly defined, a folivore) feeds on leaves, soft shoots, or fruits of high-growi...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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HerdingA herd is a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withBoth sexes of this subspecies have horns, which can reach 1.5 meters in length. Males and females are very similar in appearance until they reach three years of age when the males become darker and develop majestic horns. The males weigh an average of 238 kg (525 lb) with a height of 116–142 cm (46–56 in). Females weigh 220 kg and are slightly shorter than males. The horns are massive and more curved in males, reaching lengths of 81–165 cm (32–65 in), while females' horns are only 61–102 cm (24–40 in) in length. Coloration in bulls is black, while cows and calves are chestnut, except in southern populations where females turn brownish-black. Most sable antelopes have white "eyebrows", their rostra are sectioned into cheek stripes, and their bellies and rump patches are white. Young under two months old typically are light brown and have slight markings.
Giant sable antelopes can be found only in the region between the Cuango and Luando Rivers in Angola. They live in forests and woodlands near water, where leaves and tree sprouts are always juicy and abundant.
Sable antelopes are diurnal but are less active during the heat of the day. They form herds of 10 to 30 females and calves led by a single male. Like all antelopes, Giant sables are shy by nature, but they can also be very aggressive. The males can be especially dangerous when hurt, attacked, or approached. In fights, males avoid some serious injuries by kneeling down on their front legs and engage in horn-wrestling fights. Fatalities from these fights are rare. When startled, these antelopes normally run for only a short distance before slowing and looking back; however, when they are pursued, they can run at speeds up to 35 mph (56 kmph) for a considerable distance.
Giant sable antelopes are herbivores (folivores). They are specialized browsers feeding on foliage and herbs, especially those growing on termite mounds.
The Giant sable antelope's breeding season is seasonal and births coincide with the rainy season. After a gestation period of around 9 months, the female gives birth to a single young. A newborn calf is born with a sandy-colored coat, which helps it to camouflage. The calf will lie hidden away for at least 10 days while being nursed by its mother. Young sable antelopes are weaned at around 8 months and become reproductively mature at between 2 and 3 years of age. As the calf develops, its coat will darken and it will achieve its status within the herd.
The Giant sable antelope is critically endangered due to poaching and illegal capture for wildlife ranching. Another reason for the decline in this subspecies' numbers could be the animals' very specific feeding patterns. Typically, they will feed on tree leaves, which make up to 90% of their diets, at heights of 40-140 mm (1.6-5.5 in) from the ground, taking only the leaves.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Giant sable antelope is 70-100 mature individuals. There are now only around 40 individuals in Cangandala National Park and perhaps less than 50 individuals in Luando Reserve. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red Lis and its numbers today are decreasing.
