In January 2021, Nigeria seized pangolin scales and tusks and bones from endangered species hidden in a container of furniture materials. The seized materials are used in traditional Chinese medicine despite having no medicinal value. Studies have suggested that pangolins, the most-smuggled animals in the world, may have been an intermediate host of the coronavirus that was discovered in an outdoor farmers market in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Customs officials said the contraband consisted of 162 sacks of pangolin scales and 57 sacks of mixed animal parts, including ivory and lion bones. The total haul weighed 8,800 kilograms and was valued at $2.5 million. In 2020, China raised the protection status of all pangolin species to its highest level. But that has not stopped the demand in China and other parts of Asia for the creatures, as well as other African animals. As evidenced by the Nigeria bust, large-scale animal smuggling continues. South Africa reported a decline in the number of rhinos killed by poachers in 2020, which officials said was partly the result of COVID-19 lockdowns.