The Help the Tiger! concert at Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg featured singers and bands from countries with tiger populations including India, China, Malaysia and Russia.

The concert featured the band Mumiy Troll (Russia), singer Ella (Malaysia), “tiger movement” activist and actress Preity Zinta (India), singer Liu Xijun (China) and the band Wang Feng (China). Well-known TV host Nikolai Drozdov and taiga hunting specialist Anatoly Belov told stories about tigers.

Vladimir Putin also visited the concert. In his speech he thanked all the performers, who had come from countries with tiger populations. The prime minister gave a special nod to Leonardo DiCaprio, whose journey to St Petersburg was full of adventure. It took him three planes to get to the city. “If people with this kind of character are involved in conserving wildlife and protecting tigers, then I believe we are destined for success,” Vladimir Putin said. He also thanked the actor for donating $1 million to the World Wildlife Fund.