In Chinese mythology, the white tiger was appointed the guardian of the west. Legend had it that if a tiger ever survived to its 500th birthday, its tail would turn white. Consequentially, white tigers would only appear to emperors who ruled virtuously. They were the symbols of a peaceful reign.

But while tigers are revered creatures in Chinese lore, the king of beasts now faces a tipping point in its existence. Even as many in Asia and around the world welcome the Year of the Tiger this month, political leaders are rushing to join scientists and wildlife advocates in saving the world’s last remaining wild tigers.

The great cats have historically inspired everyone from poets to warriors. They now also symbolise vanishing environments that support both animals and humans. In India, there’s a saying that when the tiger disappears, the forests will fall.

According to the Save the Tiger Fund, wild tiger numbers have slid from 100,000 as recent as a century ago to as low as 3200 last year. Extinction looms ominously for the Siberian tiger, the world’s largest cat. A 2009 report by the Siberian Tiger Monitoring Program, which was coordinated by the Wildlife Conservation Society in association with Russian government organisations amongst others, revealed that recent Siberian tiger numbers have plummeted by 41 percent from a 12-year average.

“That came as a big shock,” said Judy Mills, coordinator for the International Tiger Coalition. She dubbed 2010 as “the most important year in the history of tigers”, and said that this year will be critical for the tiger’s future.