THE GIANT SABLE AND ROAN 257 



The GIANT SABLE (Hippotragus niger varianii) 

 (Kolwah in Songho, Sambakalogo in Luimbe) has its 

 habitat in the watershed of the Loando-Coanza 

 Rivers, though it is possible they may have crossed 

 these rivers the Loando where it is fordable in 

 the south, and the Coanza at one of its shallower 

 points during the dry season. A Boer informed 

 me that he had seen this animal well to the east 

 of the Loando, but I had reason to suspect the 

 accuracy of this information ; and though there 

 were rumours that the giant sable was present 

 to the west of the Coanza, this was not the opinion 

 of any of the natives living within the Loando- 

 Coanza watersheds. The adult bulls measure 

 from 4 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 9 inches at the 

 shoulder, and their body markings are similar to 

 those of the common sable, except that the face 

 stripes are shorter and cream-coloured instead of 

 white. The cows, slightly larger than those of 

 the common sable, have a brighter chestnut 

 coat. The horns of both sexes are much longer 

 and more massive than in Hippotragus niger, 

 the records being 63 inches for the male and about 

 40 inches for the female. 



Their food consists mainly of young grass 

 and leaves of the quinsolle bush and chinbimburee 

 plant. They are found in herds of ten to twenty 

 animals, usually containing one big bull and one 

 or more younger males ; solitary bulls are fre- 

 quently met with. The track and dung are similar 

 to those of the common sable, but slightly larger ; 

 the hind portion of the hoof is possibly more 

 angular. The front end of the hoofs, rounded 

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