Giraffes return to Bicuar NP as Angola rebuilds its wildlife heritage

Historic translocation of 12 Angolan giraffes marks another step in the country's growing conservation and nature tourism ambitions

Twelve Angolan giraffes have been successfully reintroduced to Bicuar National Park in southern Angola, marking another significant milestone in the country's efforts to restore wildlife populations and rebuild its protected landscapes.

The eight female and four male giraffes were transported from two separate populations in neighbouring Namibia and released into Bicuar National Park, in Huíla Province, on 30 July 2026. The operation was undertaken by Angola's Instituto Nacional da Biodiversidade e Áreas de Conservação (INBAC), working in partnership with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF).

Once widespread across southern Angola, native Angolan giraffes disappeared from much of their historic range following decades of conflict, habitat degradation and poaching. Their return to Bicuar therefore represents far more than the arrival of 12 animals: it is part of a longer-term programme to restore functioning ecosystems and rebuild wildlife populations across the country.

The reintroduction follows detailed habitat suitability and translocation feasibility assessments carried out by GCF and INBAC during 2025. The 12 giraffes were selected from two separate Namibian populations to maximise genetic diversity and help establish a viable founder population in Bicuar.

Each giraffe has been fitted with a solar-powered GPS satellite tracking device, enabling conservation teams to monitor movement patterns, home ranges and use of the park's habitat. Early monitoring following their release has been encouraging, with the giraffes reported to be adapting well, establishing territory and exploring their new environment without signs of significant stress.

Located in Huíla Province in southern Angola, Bicuar National Park covers approximately 7,900 sq km of savannah, miombo woodland and wetland habitats. The park lies within reach of Lubango, one of the principal gateways to southern Angola and a region already attracting travellers for landscapes including the dramatic Tundavala Gap and Serra da Leba Pass.

The project forms part of Angola's newly approved National Giraffe Conservation Action Plan 2026–2030, which provides a framework for rebuilding populations of Angolan giraffe within their historic range. Subject to the success of the initial Bicuar population and available resources, further translocations are planned, with other protected areas including Kissama National Park and Chimalavera Regional Park identified for future giraffe restoration work.

The Bicuar project also builds upon earlier conservation successes in Iona National Park, where Angolan giraffes were returned to their historic range in 2023 after an absence of more than a century. A further 13 giraffes followed in 2024, helping strengthen the newly established population.

Dr Julian Fennessy, Co-Founder and Director of Conservation at the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, described giraffes as "landscape architects and ecosystem engineers", whose browsing helps maintain vegetation structure and supports wider biodiversity.

Rebuilding wildlife – and a nature tourism economy

The return of giraffes to Bicuar comes as Angola places increasing emphasis on conservation and nature-based tourism as part of its wider tourism development strategy.

Across the country, protected landscapes are being restored and opened carefully to visitors. Iona National Park in the Namib Desert is undergoing a major ecological recovery programme, while Quiçama became Angola's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2025, encompassing more than 3.3 million hectares of terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems.

These developments are helping create a new chapter for wildlife tourism in a country better known internationally for its extraordinary landscapes than for traditional safari.

Angola's tourism proposition stretches from the desert wilderness of Namibe and the highlands of Huíla to the vast savannahs of the south-east, the thundering Kalandula Falls and more than 1,600 kilometres of Atlantic coastline.

Wildlife restoration adds an increasingly important dimension to that proposition.

Angola is currently working to transform itself from an emerging destination into a competitive and bookable international tourism destination, with nature, adventure and authentic experiences central to its positioning. Tourism is also being developed as part of the country's broader economic diversification, supporting employment, investment and economic opportunities beyond the major cities.

International visitor numbers are already moving upwards. Angola recorded 223,140 international tourist arrivals in 2025, an increase of 27.9% on 2024, while leisure and holiday arrivals grew by 20%.

For travellers, the country's conservation recovery offers something increasingly difficult to find elsewhere: the opportunity to experience major African wilderness landscapes at an early stage in their tourism development.

The return of giraffes to Bicuar is one tangible sign of that transformation – restoring an animal that once belonged to these landscapes while strengthening the ecological foundations upon which Angola's future nature tourism industry can grow.

For further information on Angola's tourism offering, visit Angola Tourism.

ENDS

About Angola

Angola is Africa's magnificent secret, a country of jaw-dropping contrasts and untamed beauty in the heart of Southern Africa. As the continent's sixth-largest nation, Angola dazzles with landscapes that shift from lush rainforests to dramatic desert expanses, from thundering waterfalls to 1,600 kilometres of pristine Atlantic coastline. This is a land shaped by powerful kingdoms and complex history, where the ancient Kingdom of Kongo once held sway and Portuguese colonial influence left an indelible mark.

The capital, Luanda, is a dynamic Atlantic gateway where African vitality, Portuguese heritage and indigenous traditions create an intoxicating urban energy. With its tourism brand, "Visit Angola – The Rhythm of Life", the destination calls to explorers, nature enthusiasts and culture seekers who refuse to follow the crowd.

For more information visit www.angolatourism.com

Link to images of Angola here

Press Contacts

Adele Cutler, PR Manager

E-mail: adele.cutler@klebergroup.comTel: +44 7976 578988

Tim Henshall, UK Director

E-mail: tim.henshall@klebergroup.comTel: +44 7810 508791