▁have ▁gradually ▁established ▁programs ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁e colog ical ▁well - be ing ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁However , ▁major ▁struct ural ▁issues ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁political ▁will ▁have ▁so ▁far ▁kept ▁inter vention ▁limited , ▁and ▁many ▁habit ats ▁and ▁species ▁remain ▁deeply ▁threatened . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Modern ▁conservation ▁efforts ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁under ▁Portuguese ▁rule ▁when ▁a ▁conservation ▁fund ▁paid ▁into ▁by ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁hunting ▁lic enses ▁was ▁set ▁up ; ▁this ▁was ▁followed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 ' s ▁by ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁natural ▁par ks ▁and ▁game ▁res erves . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 ' s , ▁the ▁colonial ▁government ▁greatly ▁expanded ▁its ▁conservation ▁efforts , ▁and ▁the ▁out look ▁for ▁Ang ola ' s ▁e colog ical ▁future ▁looked ▁prom ising . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁about ▁ 6 % ▁of ▁Ang ola ' s ▁land ▁area ▁was ▁officially ▁protected . ▁However , ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war ▁saw ▁function ally ▁all ▁conservation ▁efforts ▁abandoned , ▁and ▁formerly ▁protected ▁areas ▁ceased ▁to ▁be ▁managed . ▁Po aching ▁was ▁r amp ant , ▁especially ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁large ▁m amm als . ▁In frastr uct ural ▁and ▁agricult ural ▁collapse ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁war , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁associated ▁mass ▁migr ations ▁within ▁the ▁country , ▁dram atically ▁reduced ▁the ▁environment ' s ▁capacity ▁to ▁sust ain ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁population .