1960s, but conservation efforts crumbled during the regime of ex-President Idi Amin. According to a recent elephant census, there are believed to be about 4,400 left today. The government of President Yoweri Museveni has been struggling to restore the population of elephants and other huge mammals such as hippos. But the authorities said the country has also become a transit route for illegal ivory from neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Airport security officials have seized 460 kilogrammes of ivory so far this year. Many of the traffickers were Chinese, Tumwesigye said. "Some of the ivory from the poachers and smugglers cannot be traced because it is moved through other routes (with) porous borders," he added.
