Emerging from the shadows as Africa’s fastest growing tourism destination, Angola is enjoying more than just a moment in the spotlight.
Yet there are still many unknowns in a country larger than South Africa, with a backstory to challenge any Box Office historical epic.
Only a fraction of the land is covered by tarmac road, few areas are connected by air transport, and sites of natural wonder remain off radar. Now new species are being discovered at a time when the threat of mass extinctions looms over most of the globe.
According to a major biodiversity survey conducted by The Wilderness Project – a community-driven and scientific initiative led by 16 African and international specialists - a remote and previously inaccessible area of Angola’s eastern highlands has been described as “one of Africa’s last great biodiversity blank spots”.
Based on field work conducted in February 2026, recently published findings from the Cassai Life Atlas revealed thousands of insects including a crowned crab spider that glows blue under UV light, an orb web spider masquerading as a toxic ladybird to ward off predators, and a moth with wings of feather-like plumes.
The Lisima Plateau, where the studies took place, feeds four of Africa’s greatest river systems: the Congo, the Okavango, the Zambezi, and the Cuanza.
“Lisima’s sandy plateau releases some of the clearest and most reliable fresh water in Africa, which is reflected in the region’s dragonflies and damselflies, with several highly specialised species found nowhere else,” said dragonfly specialist Dr. Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra from the Netherlands.
It’s not only tiny creatures that inhabit this vital ecosystem. In 2024, an expedition led by South African explorer Steve Boyes managed to capture footage of a fabled “ghost elephant” on a camera trap. Moving through the misty miombo woodlands and dambos, this population are believed to be genetically and physiologically distinct from other elephants in Africa. Further evidence of their existence was gained through a DNA analysis of dung samples collected by The Wilderness Project in 2024.
Decades of civil war, the presence of landmines, and sheer remoteness have left the area untouched by scientists. But the expansion of road networks and removal of mines makes it increasingly vulnerable to human encroachment.
One of the main objectives of the study is to raise awareness for protection measures. In 2025, 5.4 million hectares (13.3 million acres) of the plateau was given formal conservation recognition and subsequently designated as Angola's first-ever Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.
Protection is bolstered by a community-led monitoring network known as Tunyiungi va Lisima (The Watchers), who patrol for poachers, protect wildlife and have mapped land using cutting-edge technology paired with customary management systems.
Although the area is still challenging to reach for tourists, it highlights the potential for discovery in a country that’s been absent from our travel map for far too long
