Uganda probes theft of ivory stockpile, suspends wildlife agency staff

Uganda said on Tuesday it had launched an investigation into the theft of more than a ton of ivory from the vaults of its state-run wildlife protection agency and had suspended five staff members.

Uganda and other sub-Saharan African countries are struggling to curb widespread poaching of elephant tusks by well-armed criminal gangs for shipment to Asia, where they fetch thousands of dollars per kilo for use in ornaments and medicine.