Angola

Immediately following Angola's independence from Portugal in 1975, civil war broke out. After 27 years, the war finally ended in 2002. The war devastated the country's wildlife, with over 100,000 elephants and thousands of other large mammals killed due to poaching, bushmeat trade for survival, and military activity.

Conservation efforts have since focused on protecting remnants of wildlife, such as the Giant Sable, and restoring national parks. The species that became extinct in Angola are slowly being reintroduced with animals from other African countries.

Despite 20+ years of peace, the illegal bushmeat trade and leftover, unexploded ordnance from the war still threaten the recovery of wildlife populations.

Kissama National Park

Kissama National Park

Kissama National Park, also known as Parque Nacional da Quissama, is located in the northwestern part of Angola, near the coast. It is approximately 70 - 100 km from the capital city, Luanda, and covers an area of 9,960 km².

As stated earlier, the devastation of the civil war decimated Kissama, leaving it devoid of wildlife. Since 2002, the government has instigated programs to reintroduce wildlife from other southern African countries. At the time of my visit, there were no predators in the park.