We collared four mature bulls, all presumed territorial one of them accompanied a herd. We concluded the survey as planned, including the detailed demographic data and threat assessment. In total, we darted 17 giant sable and deployed 15 GPS collars on nine females and six bulls. Unfortunately, the lions didn’t come to the party we spotted none during our flights. The operation went exceptionally well and almost all results matched expectations. With the unexpected appearance of the small pride, we hoped for the opportunity to collar a lion, too. The capture operation had these main objectives: 1) to update the census data on giant sable populations, including the location of the five known herds and detailed photo records to evaluate sex ratios and ages 2) to dart as many as 20 giant sable and deploy as many as 15 new GPS/Iridium collars and, if necessary, a few additional VHF collars 3) to assess threats, especially poaching, by visiting most of the water holes and, where appropriate, taking action against poachers. The largest giant sable bull observed during fly-overs. The Angolan military, both Air Force and Army, assisted with fuel, logistics and organization. The operation was sponsored by (in alphabetic order) Angola LNG, the ExxonMobil Foundation, the Segré Foundation, the Tusk Trust and the Whitley Fund. Pete Morkel, one of our most experienced wildlife veterinarians, and Namibia-based Frans Henning piloted the Bell Jet Ranger helicopter. In July, our fifth aerial game-capture operation in 10 years took place in the Luando Reserve. This unexpected development brings a new set of challenges, but also opportunities, which we will tackle in the future. The return of lions will certainly pose risks to some individual giant sable in our herds, but their presence reflects the recovery of the ecosystem and an increase in game populations. They beat a hasty retreat, setting the grass on fire to guard their rear. Both rangers got the scare of their lives. This is the first evidence of a resident lion pride in the Luando Reserve in many decades, and they are breeding successfully. One of the “survivors” said that “the ground trembled beneath our feet when the lion roared” and “the roaring was so loud that leaves were falling from the trees all around us.”Ī couple of weeks later, another team had an even more memorable experience: Two rangers stumbled onto a small pride of lions-a male, a female and four cubs-chasing bushpigs. The men were totally unprepared and, unsurprisingly, they panicked, even firing random shots into the forest. To our rangers, lions were creatures of tales, never before seen, heard or smelled. A lion roar can be frightening and may trigger visceral fear, especially when heard for the first time. In early June, our three rangers in the advanced post spent a sleepless night listening to the mighty roaring of a male. Most significant, however, was the unexpected return of big predators. As it happens, though, poaching activity appeared to be markedly lower in this area now. These collars allow us to better understand the whereabouts and behavior of giant sable, and they also contribute to better surveillance and security. We expect to strengthen the post with better equipment before end of this year and plan to open new service roads and establish an even more distant post next year.įour GPS collars-two on territorial bulls and two on females-are about to complete three years of tracking research. Our presence was crucial, since the effective security reach took in three of the five local giant sable herds. With some effort, we managed to maintain a permanent ranger presence at the advanced anti-poaching post throughout the rainy season, although reaching the post with supplies and to rotate rangers proved to be difficult as the wet progressed. We are still hopeful that higher authorities will bring justice and punishment to these poachers and thereby set an example. The December 2018 poaching incident in the Luando Reserve-three men were arrested with the remains of a freshly and illegally killed giant sable female-ended with the culprits set free by the local prosecutor, who apparently negotiated a deal with the poachers’ families. Rain came to Angola late in the last quarter of 2018 and ended early, by mid-March 2019 in most areas although there was plenty of local variation, it became apparent that we were in for a drought later in the year. This is his latest report from the Cangandala and Luando reserves, where, thanks to his relentless efforts, this enigmatic antelope still thrives. Since 2003, Pedro vaz Pinto has worked to conserve the giant or royal sable (Hippotragus niger variani, better known in Angola as Palanca Negra).
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