Cangandala Park is ranked as the smallest national park in Angola covering only 600sq km. It is drained by the Cuije River on the northern boundary and Cuaza river tributaries in the east and west. It was first recognized as a game reserve in 1963 but gained national park status in June 1970. It is sometimes referred to as Malange National Park. Cangandala National Park occasionally referred to as Malange National Park, is situated in north-central Angola and is the smallest national park in the country.
Located in Malanje Province in north-central Angola. It is bordered by two towns Techongolola and Culamagia in the south and east respectively.
The park was formed to protect the number of Giant Sable antelopes that roamed the area in the early 1960s. Today, there isn’t any factual statistics about the remaining numbers of these antelopes in Malange Park
A large number of birds live in the park. During the observation period from August to September, the researchers noted more than 170 species. Due to the nature of the woodland, the typical inhabitants of the miombo are not typical of it. Some of the birds in the park include the Guinea Turaco, Pale-billed hornbill, Finch’s Francolin, Anchieta barbet, red-capped crombec, Angola Babbler, Souiza shrike, sharp-tailed glossy starling, broad-tailed Paradise, and the Miombo Tit among many others
Since the park receives nearly 1350mm of rainfall per year, there is an easy distribution of vegetation. A large area of the park is covered by woodlands of mainly Brachystegia and Julbernardia while other forest species found in the park include the Dombeya, Burkea, and Monotes among many others. On the edge of the rivers are scattered patches of grasslands, forest woodlands, and papyrus swamps.
The wet season in Angola lasts from October through April and the misty season—also called the “Cacimbo”—from May to September. For the best wildlife viewing, travellers should visit the country between June and September when it is cooler and drier.
