Luanda — Three specimens of the long missing and critically endangered giant sable antelope were finally spotted Saturday at Cangandala National Park and Luando Game Reserve, Angola's northern Malanje province, reviving hopes that the animal has actually survived the country's long lasted civil war.

The information was released by the national director of Environment, Vladimir Russo, who said this followed an expedition of specialists of the ministry.

Speaking to Angop, Vladimir Russo said the expedition was part of the specie's conservation project, adding that collars have been attached to the animals in order to monitor their movement within the Cangandala Park and Luando Reserve, their natural habitat.

According to the source, collars have been attached to a female, at Cangandala, and another two to a female and a male at Luando.

The official who would not add details, said the animals will soon be captured and relocated at a 400 hectares sanctuary built at Cangandala Park for studies.

The project of conservation of the Hippotragus niger variani, also known in Portuguese as "Palanca Negra Gigante", is under the Angolan Ministry of Environment, with support of the Centre of Studies and Scientific Research of the"Universidade Católica de Angola" and the Luanda province Government.

Also sponsoring the giant sable antelope conservation project is the oil company "ESSO Angola" and the privately-owned mobile telecommunication firm "UNITEL" and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

The giant sable antelope is evaluated as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The Cangandala National Park, in northern Malanje province, was established in 1963 and stretches over an area of 63.000 hectares.

The Luando Reserve that is shared by the provinces of Malanje and Bie (central Angola), was set up in 1938, over an area of 828,000 hectares.