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The Giant Sable Fund

The Giant Sable Fund (GSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to the study and protection of the giant sable antelope (Hippotragus niger variani) — one of the world's rarest and most endangered large mammals. The species is found exclusively in Angola, where it is the national symbol and is known in Portuguese as palanca negra gigante. With an estimated population of around 300 animals, the giant sable remains at serious risk of extinction. The GSF works to ensure its survival through on-the-ground conservation, scientific research, and community engagement.

The giant sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger variani)

The giant sable antelope is a critically endangered subspecies found only in two protected areas in central Angola: Cangandala National Park and Luando Strict Nature Reserve, both lying between the Cuanda and Luando rivers in Malanje Province. It is the distinctive of the four sable subspecies, having evolved in geographical isolation for approximately 170,000 years.

Adult males are jet black and bear sweeping backward-curving horns that can reach up to 165 cm in length — among the most impressive of any living antelope. Females are chestnut-brown and slightly lighter, with shorter less-curved horns. The giant sable is a highly specialized browser, adapted to the harsh condition of the Angolan miombo.

The species was first formally described by Frank Varian in 1916, making it the last large African antelope subspecies to be scientifically identified. It is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, protected under CITES Appendix I, and its hunting is strictly prohibited. In Angola, it holds deep cultural significance: the national football team is named the Palancas Negras, and the giant sable appears on Angolan stamps, banknotes, and passports.

For more information about the giant sable antelope, please visit its Wikipedia page.

The Giant Sable Fund

The Giant Sable Fund was incorporated in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Boston, Massachusetts (Tax ID: 20-8525228). Its sole purpose is to raise and channel funds to the Giant Sable Conservation Project in Angola. The GSF keeps its overhead to an absolute minimum — it employs no full-time or part-time staff, relying instead on volunteer effort for its management and administration. This ensures that the maximum proportion of every donation reaches the field.

The GSF works closely with its Angolan implementing partner, the Kissama Foundation, which manages day-to-day operations on the ground.

Partners and Supporters

The Giant Sable Fund has been supported over the years by a range of international organizations and foundations, including:

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USA)
The Tusk Trust (UK)
Whitley Fund for Nature (UK)
Fondation Segré (Switzerland)
ExxonMobil Foundation
Viridia (Portugal)
Angola Ministry of Environment (MINAMB, Angola)
Kissama Foundation (Angola)
Provincial Government of Malanje (Angola)
Angolan Armed Forces (logistical support, Angola)
SJ Johnson (USA)
ACTIF Foundation (USA)

How to Help

The giant sable's survival depends on sustained funding for research and protection activities. The main costs of the conservation project are ranger salaries and subsistence, vehicle fuel and maintenance, GPS collar replacement, communications equipment, collaring operations, veterinary work and scientific monitoring. The Giant Sable Fund operartes with close to zero overhead and every donation to goes directly toward these field costs.

The Giant Sable Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible for US taxpayers.

To donate or for more information, contact us at info@giantsable.org or call +1 617-651-2220.

The Documentary

The Giant Sable Fund in collaboration with Woodcock Films Ltd. is producing a feature-length documentary about the giant sable antelope and the extraordinary efforts to save it. The film, currently titled Saving the Giant Sable, tells one of Africa's most remarkable and least-known conservation stories.

A substantial portion of the film has already been shot. Post-production is currently underway, with a festival premiere planned for autumn 2027. We plan to submit it to major international wildlife and documentary festivals including Wildscreen, Jackson Wild, Sheffield Doc/Fest, and the International Wildlife Film Festival, among others. Distribution targets may include PBS, GBH, ARTE, the BBC, National Geographic, TPA (Televisão Pública de Angola), and conservation-focused streaming platforms. An education outreach component is planned for schools in Angola.

The fil director is George Woodcock of Woodcock Films Ltd. He is a multi-award-winning British cinematographer and filmmaker specialising in natural history and environmental documentaries. He holds a degree in Zoology and an MSc in animal behaviour, and has 15 years of experience filming for major international broadcasters and streaming platforms including the BBC, Netflix, National Geographic, and PBS.

His credits include BBC Natural World films narrated by David Attenborough (Giraffes: Africa's Gentle Giants; The Batman of Mexico; Puerto Rico), H is for Hawk (BBC), Our Changing Planet (BBC), The Age of Nature (PBS/BBC), and numerous other productions. His work has won awards at the Rotterdam Wildlife Film Festival, Wildscreen, and Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.

George started filming Saving the Giant Sable when he partciparted in our 2024 collaring operation in Angola, and has made additional filming trips to Angola since. He has worked closely with our project leader Dr. Pedro vaz Pinto and closely documented his research. George's website is www.georgewoodcock.co.uk.

We have received seed funding form the ACTIF Foundation and Green Heart Kilifi, and are currently seeking funding for the completion of the documentary. You can reach us at info@giantsable.org if you have any question about this production.

In Popular Culture

The Angolan filmmaker Kalunga Lima devoted years of his life to bringing the story of the giant sable to the screen. The documentary was completed and ready for release in 2010, and was shown at Expo 2010 in China, but Kalunga passed away that year at the age of 37 in a scuba diving accident, and his film was never officially released. His footage and his vision remain a foundational part of our project's history. The Giant Sable Fund's documentary will honor his memory and recognize the extraordinary contribution he made to the giant sable's story.

Kalunga Lima's Giant Sable Story (Portuguese version)

Kalunga Lima's Giant Sable Story (English version)

In Literature

A Certain Curve of Horn: The Hundred-Year Quest for the Giant Sable Antelope of Angola, by John Frederick Walker, is the essential account of the giant sable's story. A veteran journalist and writer with deep ties to Africa, Walker weaves together natural history, colonial history, and first-person adventure into a compelling and widely praised narrative. John is also the author of Ivory's Ghosts: The White Gold of History and the Fate of Elephants, an acclaimed account of the ivory trade and its profound impact on African elephants. John's website and links to both books are below.

John Frederick Walker

A Certain Curve of Horn — Grove Atlantic

Ivory's Ghosts — Grove Atlantic

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