 It was founded as "N'Guebela" on September 28, 1907.Around the town, some areas of the Angolan Scarp savanna and woodlands with its unique plants and animals are still to be found.The Gabela akalat ("Sheppardia gabela"), a species of bird, was first recorded here by scientists and subsequently named after the town, as were the Gabela helmet-shrike ("Prionops gabela") and Gabela bush-shrike ("Laniarius amboimensis"); these endangered species are only found in the uplands near Gabela.