Animals in Angola
Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger
The photo shows a sable antelope, a species related to Angola’s national animal, the Giant Sable Antelope. The giant subspecies is rare and found only in Angola, symbolizing endurance and national pride. Conservation programs and limited safaris protect this emblematic animal in its remaining forest habitats.
View details→Wildlife in Angola
Angola’s wildlife extends from the Atlantic coast to forests and inland savannas. Elephants, giraffes, chimpanzees, manatees and whales share diverse habitats that remain little explored. National parks such as Kissama and Iona are regaining attention as emerging destinations for eco tourism and wildlife conservation.
Most Dangerous Animals in Angola
Angola is home to powerful and potentially dangerous animals such as elephants, hippos, leopards and venomous snakes. These species inhabit forests, rivers and savannas. Guided tours and park supervision help ensure safe encounters for visitors exploring its natural areas.
Top 10 Animals in Angola
Angola’s notable fauna includes elephants, chimpanzees, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, leopards, crocodiles and black mambas. These animals represent the country’s ecological diversity and are increasingly featured in nature tours that promote Angola’s recovery as a wildlife destination.
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Angola's savanna elephants live mainly in Cuando Cubango in the southeast, in Luengue-Luiana and Mavinga national parks, where herds move freely to and from Botswana, Namibia and Zambia within the Kavango-Zambezi conservation area. The civil war that ended in 2002 devastated them, and the largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1955. Numbers have recovered as security returned, though poaching persists. IUCN status: Endangered.
Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
The African buffalo is found across Angola's diverse landscapes, from the miombo woodlands of the interior to the floodplains of the Okavango and Cuando rivers in the southeast. Herds gather near permanent water sources, particularly in Cuando Cubango province. Angola's populations are recovering after decades of civil conflict that severely reduced wildlife numbers. Poaching and habitat loss remain concerns, especially outside Luengue-Luiana and Mavinga national parks. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
In Angola, cheetahs live mainly in the southeast, where camera traps in Luengue-Luiana National Park recorded them regularly between 2021 and 2023 near the borders with Namibia and Zambia. Decades of war, poaching and land mines emptied much of this region, and wildlife is slowly recovering. Cheetahs have also been reported in Iona National Park in the southwest desert. They share the land with lions and wild dogs. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Chimpanzee
Pan troglodytes
In Angola, chimpanzees live only in the northern enclave of Cabinda, in the Mayombe forest that continues into the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They belong to the central subspecies and mark one of the southern limits of the species. This small population faces heavy pressure from logging and hunting, and very little research has been done on it. IUCN status: Endangered.
Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger
Angola is home to the giant sable, or palanca negra gigante, a subspecies found nowhere else and the country's national animal. It lives in the miombo of Malanje, in Cangandala National Park and the Luando Reserve. Feared lost in the civil war, it was found again in 2004; after a rescue that removed hybrids with roan, about 310 now survive in eight herds. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Angola gave its name to the Angolan giraffe, part of the southern giraffe, but decades of civil war nearly wiped giraffes out of the country. Small numbers survive in the southeast near the borders with Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, and in the southwest, giraffes from Namibia have been released into Iona National Park to bring the species back. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Greater Kudu
Tragelaphus strepsiceros
In Angola, greater kudus live in the dry woodlands of the south and east, toward the borders with Namibia and Zambia. Decades of civil war and hunting for meat thinned out the large antelopes here, so kudus are less common than in neighboring Namibia. Bulls carry spiral horns that can pass 1.8 meters along the curl. They share the bush with sable antelopes, impalas and giraffes. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
In Angola, hippos live along the large rivers, from the Cuanza in the west, where Quiçama National Park lies near Luanda, to the Cuando and Cubango rivers in the southeast, part of the wider Okavango and Zambezi system. Decades of civil war and hunting for meat took a heavy toll, and numbers are still recovering in many areas. They share these rivers with Nile crocodiles. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
In Angola, spotted hyenas live in the savannas and miombo woodlands of the south and southeast, where Cuando Cubango holds some of the country's wildest land, close to the borders with Namibia and Botswana. Decades of war and hunting emptied much of this landscape of game, but hyenas held on better than most large carnivores and still share it with lions, leopards and wild dogs. Their clans hunt antelopes and scavenge widely. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
Angola has both kinds of impala. The common impala lives in the woodlands and floodplains of the southeast, in Cuando Cubango. The black faced impala, larger and darker with a dark stripe on the face, lives in the dry scrub of the southwest, near the border with Namibia. That subspecies is Vulnerable, with only 3,000 to 4,000 adults, most of them in Namibia. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black backed Jackal
Lupulella mesomelas
The black backed jackal is found in the southern and central regions of Angola, particularly in the arid Namib border zone and the miombo and thornbush savannas inland. Its distribution in Angola is less thoroughly documented than in neighboring Namibia or Botswana. It fills the role of a generalist predator and scavenger across these habitats. Its IUCN status is Least Concern. Bonded pairs are the core social unit, often assisted by offspring from prior breeding seasons.
Leopard
Panthera pardus
In Angola, leopards live across most of the country, from the forests of the north to the woodlands and savannas of the south and east, where Luengue-Luiana National Park forms part of the large KAZA conservation area shared with Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Decades of civil war and bushmeat hunting emptied many areas of prey, but surveys since then have found leopards wherever wild prey remains. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Lion
Panthera leo
In Angola, lions live mainly in the south and southeast. The largest numbers are in Luengue-Luiana and Mavinga national parks, part of the KAZA conservation area shared with Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and a small population survives in Bicuar National Park. The long civil war wiped out much of the wildlife, and lions are still recovering in these vast and remote landscapes. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Springbok
Antidorcas marsupialis
In Angola, springboks live only in the dry southwest, on the gravel plains and grasslands at the edge of the Namib Desert. Iona National Park is their stronghold, where a camera trap survey found the springbok among the most common mammals. A long drought pushed herds to gather around scarce water or leave the park, and managers are studying whether to reinforce them. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
The common warthog is found across Angola's savannas and miombo woodlands, from Quiçama National Park near Luanda to the wide grasslands of the south and east. Decades of war reduced wildlife, but warthogs survived better than many larger animals and are still widespread. Family groups shelter in burrows, and lions, leopards and wild dogs hunt them. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
In Angola the African wild dog survives in the remote southeast and southwest. Camera traps and sightings in Luengue Luiana National Park counted 26 to 28 resident dogs a year between 2021 and 2023, with packs seen again from one survey to the next, and dogs also live and breed in Bicuar National Park. These wild places share space with lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. IUCN status: Endangered.
Zebra
Equus quagga
In Angola, plains zebras live mainly in the south and southeast, in parks such as Bicuar, Mupa and Luengue Luiana, where populations are slowly recovering after decades of civil war reduced wildlife across the country. The dry southwest, around Iona National Park, is home instead to Hartmann's mountain zebra. Herds of plains zebras favor open savanna and mixed woodland, and they remain less common here than in the neighboring countries further south.
Western Lowland Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla gorilla
In Angola, western lowland gorillas live only in Cabinda, the enclave separated from the rest of the country, at the southern edge of their range. Their stronghold is the Maiombe forest and its national park. Camera traps set in 2023 took the first systematic images of gorillas and chimpanzees there, and models suggest about 1,650 gorillas in Cabinda. Hunting and farming are the main threats. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
African Forest Elephant
Loxodonta cyclotis
Angola's forest elephants live in the north, mainly in the Maiombe rainforest of the Cabinda enclave, which continues into Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and possibly in the humid forests along the northern border. These populations are small, isolated and little studied, and there is no reliable count. Logging and past poaching have reduced them, and they are rare in Angola. IUCN status: Critically Endangered.
Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
In Angola, meerkats occupy the arid and semi-arid zones of the southwest, particularly around the Namib desert extension near the Namibian border. Here they form close family groups that share burrow systems offering shelter from the intense heat. Their varied diet of insects, scorpions and small lizards helps them thrive where food resources can be scarce. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern.
Pangolin
Manidae (8 species)
Temminck's ground pangolin lives in the savannas and dry woodlands of southern and eastern Angola, where it shelters in burrows and comes out at night to dig for ants and termites. Like other African pangolins, it is hunted for bushmeat and for scales smuggled to Asia, and it is rarely seen. The species is Vulnerable and is protected by Angolan law, but little research has been done on its numbers in the country. IUCN status: varies by species.
Caracal
Caracal caracal
The caracal occurs across much of Angola, from the dry miombo woodlands of the interior to the arid scrublands of the southwest near the Namib Desert edge. It avoids the dense forests of the north. A solitary and largely nocturnal hunter, it targets small antelopes, hares, and birds. Habitat loss linked to agricultural expansion is an increasing concern for the species across the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Serval
Leptailurus serval
Servals live across much of Angola's savannas, especially in the central highlands and the wetter floodplains of the east and southeast, where rivers feeding the Okavango and Zambezi create long grass and marshes full of rodents. They hunt mainly at dusk and at night, finding prey by sound and pouncing from above. The skin trade is a local pressure. IUCN status: Least Concern.
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
The African civet ranges through Angola's northern Congo Basin forests, the humid woodlands of the central Malanje plateau, and the savanna corridors of the east. It follows riverine vegetation into drier zones but avoids the southwestern coastal desert. In Angola's less disturbed woodland areas, civets share the nocturnal landscape with genets and mongooses, thriving wherever dense ground cover and permanent water remain accessible. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
In Angola the honey badger roams savannas, miombo woodland and dry scrub, from the southern deserts near Namibia to the wooded north. Its thick, loose skin protects it from bites and stings as it raids beehives, digs up rodents and hunts venomous snakes. It is mostly active at night and rarely seen, and conflict with beekeepers and farmers puts pressure on it in settled areas. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
In Angola the common genet belongs to the southern African population, which reaches the south of the country. It lives in dry woodland, thornbush savanna and rocky hills, avoiding the wetter forests of the north. Active at night, it rests by day in hollow trees, burrows or thick cover and hunts rodents, birds, reptiles and insects. Its long tail ends in a white tip. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Brown Hyena
Parahyaena brunnea
Angola is the northern edge of the brown hyena's range. It lives in the far southwest, in the desert and dry plains of the Namibe province, where Iona National Park, Angola's oldest and largest park, has been managed by African Parks together with the government since 2019. Brown hyenas are found across the park but in low numbers, sharing it with oryx and black backed jackals. Decades of war and hunting left wildlife here poorly studied. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Hartebeest
Alcelaphus buselaphus
In Angola, the red hartebeest lives in the dry southwest and south, toward the Namibian border, while Lichtenstein's hartebeest is found in the miombo woodlands of the east. Decades of war and hunting for meat thinned out the country's antelopes, and hartebeests are far less common than across the border in Namibia. They share these savannas with oryx, zebras and buffalo. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Topi
Damaliscus lunatus
The topi is found in Angola's northeastern grasslands and floodplain areas, where seasonal rains bring fresh grazing. With its reddish brown coat and dark leg patches, it is one of the more striking antelopes in the region. Topis live in herds and males often stand on termite mounds to watch for danger. In Angola, populations are recovering after decades of civil conflict disrupted wildlife across the country. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bushbuck
Tragelaphus scriptus
In Angola, bushbucks live in riverine forest, thickets and woodland across much of the country, from the forest edges of the north to the river valleys of the south and east. Decades of war and hunting reduced many large mammals, but bushbucks, which need little space and dense cover, survived better than most. They are shy and feed mostly at night on leaves, shoots and fallen fruit. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
Green turtles forage along Angola's Atlantic coast, especially in the warmer waters of the north, and are recorded alongside the leatherbacks and olive ridleys that nest on its beaches. Angola is part of the broader West and Central African sea turtle region, connected with the rookeries of the Gulf of Guinea. Monitoring and protection remain limited, and bycatch and hunting are the main threats. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
In Angola the Nile crocodile lives in the large river systems of the south and east, such as the Cubango and Cuando, which drain toward the Okavango basin, and in the Zambezi headwaters. These rivers offer the sandy banks and steady fish supply it needs. Decades of war left the wildlife of these areas poorly studied, and hunting and habitat disturbance still put local pressure on the species. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black Mamba
Dendroaspis polylepis
The black mamba is present across much of Angola, favoring the savanna woodland and rocky terrain of the interior plateaus and avoiding the coastal desert of the southwest. Its olive to gray body helps it blend into dry scrub, though the jet black mouth gives it away when threatened. Bites are a serious medical concern, and access to antivenom outside the main cities remains limited. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Bateleur
Terathopius ecaudatus
The bateleur soars over Angola's vast miombo woodlands and southern savanna zones, where its rocking flight and vivid scarlet face make it one of the most striking birds in the sky. It patrols large territories in search of carrion and reptiles. Classified as Endangered by the IUCN, it faces pressure from poisoning and habitat loss across the region.
Grey Crowned Crane
Balearica regulorum
The Grey Crowned Crane appears in Angola's central and eastern highlands, where wetlands and moist grasslands provide good foraging ground. Recognizable by its golden crown and striking black and white wings, it feeds on seeds, insects, and small frogs. Angola sits at the western edge of this bird's range, and populations here face pressure from wetland loss and capture for the live bird trade. It is listed as Endangered.
Ostrich
Struthio camelus
In Angola, ostriches are found across the open grasslands and dry woodland edges of the central plateau and southern regions. The Namib desert fringe in the southwest also supports a small population. These birds tend to gather in loose groups, moving across the landscape in search of grasses and seeds. Angola's vast and relatively undisturbed interior gives ostriches some of the most expansive habitat available to them in southern Africa.
Steppe Eagle
Aquila nipalensis
Angola is part of the steppe eagle's southern African wintering range, reaching as far as the center of the country. Birds arrive from Central Asia during the northern winter and use the open savannas and grasslands of the south and east, where they gather in groups at termite emergences after the rains or at carcasses. Conditions on these wintering grounds affect the survival of this declining eagle. IUCN status: Endangered.
White backed Vulture
Gyps africanus
Angola's broad savannas and miombo woodlands in the central and southern regions provide habitat for the white backed vulture. Years of civil conflict disrupted wildlife surveys, so population data remain incomplete. The species benefits from Angola's relatively low human density in key areas, but poisoning of carcasses, often targeting large predators, kills vultures as unintended victims. Conservation awareness in rural communities is critical for this Critically Endangered bird.
Lanner Falcon
Falco biarmicus
In Angola, the lanner falcon occurs across the central plateau and the drier open habitats of the south, where rocky escarpments offer nesting ledges. It feeds mainly on birds, often hunting in pairs to flush prey into the open. Angola's mix of savanna and semi-arid terrain suits this adaptable raptor well. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, though habitat changes in the region require monitoring.
African Grey Parrot
Psittacus erithacus
In Angola, African grey parrots are found in the forested areas of the north, particularly in Cabinda and the provinces bordering the Congo Basin. The species reaches the southern edge of its range here, making Angola one of the most peripheral countries in its distribution. Trapping pressure during and after decades of civil conflict reduced populations significantly, and the lack of systematic wildlife monitoring across much of the country makes current population estimates uncertain.
Tawny Eagle
Aquila rapax
In Angola, the tawny eagle lives in the dry savannas and open woodlands of the interior, especially on the central plateau and the southern plains. It is an opportunistic feeder, taking small animals, carrion and food stolen from other birds of prey. Habitat degradation and poisoning have reduced it in some areas. It nests in tall trees and is most common in the south. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
The secretary bird strides across Angola's vast savanna grasslands, particularly in the central plateau and southern plains. It hunts on foot, stomping on snakes and rodents with powerful kicks. Pairs build large stick nests on flat-topped acacia trees and return to them each breeding season. Habitat loss from agricultural expansion is a growing threat. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.
African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
Angola's rivers, floodplains and wetlands offer ideal habitat for the African fish eagle. It lives near most permanent water, including the Kwanza River basin, the Okavango headwaters in the southeast and the Cuando floodplains. Its call carries across the rivers year round. It is also seen along the coast at river mouths and lagoons, and pairs nest in tall trees near the water, where they can watch for fish. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Black browed Albatross
Thalassarche melanophris
The black browed albatross reaches Angolan waters as a non breeding visitor, carried north by the cold, fish rich Benguela Current. Birds arriving here have crossed from breeding colonies thousands of kilometers to the south, and they stay well offshore. The same upwelling that feeds them supports Angola's fishing fleet, and bycatch in longline and trawl gear is the main risk to the species here. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Cape Petrel
Daption capense
Angola marks the northern end of the Cape petrel's range along the west coast of Africa. Carried north by the cold Benguela Current, small numbers reach the waters off southern Angola during the austral winter, where they feed on fish, squid and crustaceans far offshore. The species does not breed here, and records are few because the area is rarely surveyed by seabird watchers. IUCN status: Least Concern.
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
The barn owl is found across Angola in open savanna, farmland, and the outskirts of villages and towns throughout much of the country. It nests in old buildings, rocky outcrops, and hollow trees, and hunts rodents at night with exceptional precision. In agricultural communities it is valued as a natural pest controller, keeping populations of rats and mice in check across a wide range of habitats.
Stork
Ciconia ciconia
Angola serves as a wintering destination for white storks that travel south from their European and Asian breeding grounds each year. The open savannas and floodplains of the country offer plenty of insects, frogs, and small animals to feed on during the southern hemisphere summer. Storks are typically seen in flocks scattered across agricultural and grassland areas. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The peregrine falcon is an uncommon resident in Angola, breeding on cliffs and rocky escarpments such as those of the western highlands and the Namib edge in the south, where it hunts doves, swifts and other birds. In the southern summer, migrant peregrines from Europe and Asia also reach the country and can be seen along the coast and around wetlands. The IUCN lists the peregrine falcon as Least Concern.
Flamingo
Phoenicopteridae (6 species)
Angola has both the greater flamingo, present year round, and the lesser flamingo, which visits outside the breeding season. They gather in coastal lagoons and sandbanks, and the flamingos of the Lobito lagoon, often seen right next to the city, are among the best known. The two species feed side by side: the greater filters small crustaceans from the mud, while the lesser skims tiny algae from the surface. IUCN status: greater flamingo Least Concern, lesser flamingo Near Threatened.
African Manatee
Trichechus senegalensis
The African manatee is found along Angola's Atlantic coastline and in the lower reaches of rivers such as the Kwanza and the Congo. It inhabits coastal lagoons, estuaries and calm river stretches where it feeds on aquatic vegetation. Angola marks the southern limit of its range, and populations here face pressure from accidental capture in fishing nets and occasional hunting. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Tiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
In Angola the tiger shark lives along the Atlantic coast, over the continental shelf and near river mouths, where it hunts fish, rays and sea turtles. It is found mostly in the warmer waters of the north of the country. It is caught by the artisanal canoe fleets that fish the coast with gillnets and lines, and its fins and dried meat are sold in local markets. IUCN status: Near Threatened.
Bull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
The bull shark is one of the large sharks of the coast of Angola. Its nurseries are the estuaries of the Cuanza and other rivers in the north and center of the country: young sharks spend their first years there, in brackish water where few large predators go. Farther south, the cold Benguela Current keeps it away. Adults hunt close to the beaches, and many end up in the nets of artisanal fishers, who sell them fresh, smoked or dried. IUCN status: Vulnerable.
Researched and written by Juan Pablo. Sources: IUCN Red List, scientific literature and regional field guides. Last updated: .