In 1970, Huntley visited Angola for the first time. A year later, he moved there with his wife, accepting an offer to be a government ecologist. He spent four years exploring the country, developing new national parks, and making recommendations for nature conservation. In August 1975, while the country was on the verge of the Civil War, the Huntleys fled the country as refugees (with around 10,000 others) and returned to South Africa.