by nate on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 | Life, Pets & Animal

According to the Chinese Zodiac

, the Year of 2010 is the Year of the Tiger, which commences on February 14, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011. The Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, and it is a sign of bravery. This courageous and fiery fighter is admired by the ancient Chinese as the sign that keeps away the three main tragedies of a household. These are fire, thieves and ghosts.

In the Chinese zodiac, tiger is a symbol of energy, courage and awesome power.

In real life though, it will need luck – and enormous international effort – if it’s to escape extinction.

China ushers in the Year of the Tiger on Sunday, kicking off a week-long celebration marked by festive fireworks and family gatherings.

But conservationists warn that unless China and a dozen other countries act urgently, wild tigers will vanish from the planet by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger.

A century ago, more than 100,000 big cats roamed the Earth, but stocks have plummeted: scientists say there are now just 3,200.

I would encourage us to save this beautiful animals!

Tags: animal conservative, big cats, China's extinct, chinese calendar, conservationists, lunar calendar, powerful animal, save the animal, tiger, year of tiger