Yin and yang symbolise two opposite but complementary basic forces. Together, these coins form an integral whole, a circle. In the Chinese horoscope, 2010 is the year of the tiger. People born in the year of the tiger are considered honest, brave and reflective.

The Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)

The Siberian tiger is the largest wild feline on the planet. The species lives in eastern Siberia near the Amur River, in a harsh, cold environment marked by snow and ice.

The yellowish-orange Siberian tiger is lighter than other tigers. Its fur is also longer. The Siberian tiger's prey consists of moose and wild boar. The male may measure up to 3.3 metres long and weigh 300 kg (660 lb).

In the 1940s, the Siberian tiger was nearly driven to extinction due to hunting, and the estimated population dropped to only 40 animals. The Soviet Union prohibited tiger hunting in the 1950s, and as a result, the population gradually increased. In 1994, the World Wildlife Foundation WWF and the Russian government founded a protection programme which has doubled the number of tigers.

Now there are approximately 500 Siberian tigers in the wild. The species is still endangered, but according to the WWF, it is no longer at risk of extinction.

The Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)

The Bengal tiger or the Indian tiger is an endangered tiger sub-species found in forests and grasslands of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India and Nepal. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of both Bangladesh and India.

The Bengal tiger has reddish-yellowish coat with black stripes. The male may measure up to three metres long and weigh 260 kg (570 lb). The Bengal tiger is a skilled hunter of antelopes, deer and wild boar.

This tiger is at risk due to poaching and the reduction of its habitat. The estimated population in the wild consists of about 2,500 animals, which makes the Bengal tiger the most numerous of the tiger sub-species.