page_title: Conservation in Angola
section_title: Threatened species
hierarchical_section_title: Conservation in Angola / Major issues / Threatened species
caption_attribution_description: American Museum of Natural History, New York City, 2015
context_page_description: Conservation in Angola is centered around the protection of the country's biodiversity and natural heritage. While Angola contains a remarkably diverse array of ecosystems and species, conservation has not been a priority for most of its history. Three decades of intense conflict during the Angolan Civil War had a catastrophic effect on the nation's environment, but since the end of the war in 2002, both the Angolan government and non-state actors have gradually established programs to protect the ecological well-being of the country. However, major structural issues and lack of political will have so far kept intervention limited, and many habitats and species remain deeply threatened.
context_section_description: Angola has historically been home to a large number of African bush elephants, though their population was severely diminished during the civil war. Researchers who studied the elephant population in 2005 found their numbers to be increasing as a reasonable pace. Between 2006 and 2015, the Angolan government refused to allow surveys of elephant populations. New research conducted in 2015 revealed a 21% decline in population over the previous ten years, likely due to increased poaching and human habitat encroachment.
  The giant sable antelope is a major national symbol of Angola. While it once could be found across Africa, numbers declined in the 20th century to the point that it was thought potentially extinct until one was photographed in 2004. Currently there are estimated fewer than 200 extant individuals, with habitat loss and the bushmeat trade driving this massive decline in numbers.
caption: Stuffed specimen of the Giant sable antelope at the American Museum of Natural History
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