Asiatic Lion
Panthera leo leo
Status: Endangered, very small population and only surviving today in India, however population is increasing.
Beautiful, regal, and powerful, lions are symbols of power, strength, loyalty, and leadership. In India, one of the incarnations of Vishnu (preserver and protector) is a Lion God, whose role it is to destroy evil.
Although lions never ranged as far as Southeast Asia, their reputation and legend traveled across to countries whose people would have never laid eyes upon the majestic great cats. Evolving from the Sanskrit word for "lion", the mythical creatures called singha can be found adorning palaces, temples, and guarding over gates. Some singha are like chimera with aspects from both Hindu and Buddhist influence, with wings and a flowing mane that combine the divine eagle aspect of Garuda, and the sinuous nature of a Chinese lung (dragon).
References:
Blurton, T. Richard (1993). Hindu art. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
T. A. Gopinatha Rao (1993). Elements of Hindu iconography. Motilal Banarsidass.
Low, J. (1839). On the Government, the Literature, and Mythology, of the Siamese. United Kingdom: J. L. Cox. 40.
Stratton, C., Scott, M. M. (2004). Buddhist Sculpture of Northern Thailand. Thailand: Buppha Press. 350.