The giant sable antelope Hippotragus niger variani is the most widely recognised representative of Angolan biodiversity, owing to its endemic status, rarity and physical attributes. One of the last large mammals to be described in Africa, it is confined to the upper Cuanza basin, in central Angola. Studies on the biology of giant sable were mostly conducted in the 1970s, but ongoing efforts using modern tools such as DNA analyses, GPS tracking, camera trapping and satellite imagery are improving our knowledge. Past explanations for the extent of the isolation and relationships with other sable populations have been controversial. Molecular studies have only recently made significant contributions to interpret the evolutionary history of giant sable. Although much pursued by hunters during the first half of the twentieth century, the conservation needs of giant sable were recognised early on, with the proclamation of two protected areas and the setting in place of strict regulations. Park management and efficient protection was enforced in the 1960s, but these protected areas were abandoned soon after the country’s independence, leading to population crashes and interspecific hybridization, which left the subspecies on the verge of extinction. The giant sable is currently the main focus of a conservation programme supervised by the Angolan Government that is successfully promoting its recovery. Keywords: Cangandala, Conservation, Cuanza, Evolutionary history, Extinction, Hybridisation, Luando, Population collapse, Trap cameras.