Cangandala National Park

Cangandala National Park is a national park in Malanje Province, Angola. It is situated between the Cuije river and 2 unnamed territories of the Cuanza, with the towns of Culamagia and Techongolola on the edges of the park. It is the smallest national park in Angola.

History
Following the discovery of the Giant Sable Antelope in Portuguese West Africa in 1963, the Cangandala nature reserve was founded to safeguard its natural habitat. On 1970, while still under Portuguese rule, it was declared a national park. The park maintained this status after the independence of Angola in 1975.

Description
The park, which covers an area of 600 km2, consists of undulating sandlime hills with lower-lying drainage lines. The area receives about 1350 mm rainfall per year with an average temperature of 21.5 °C. No perennial rivers occur and drainage takes place via grass covered waterlanes. A mosaic of open miombo bushveld and savanna occur. Brachystegia-bushveld are found on the water partitions and open grasslands in the lower-lying drainage lanes.

The red-lipped herald is one of the commonest snakes in the park.

Forest vegetation is dominated by Brachystegia and Julbernardia, together with other trees in places (Piliostigma, Burkea, Monotes, Strychnos, Sterculia and Dombeya).