Illegal hunting and habitat loss has reduced the number of wild tigers in China to fewer than 50. From The Star:

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.

China, once home to thousands of wild tigers, has fewer than 50.