Environmental campaigners and animal lovers have joined forces in India to stage a procession aimed at raising awareness of the plight of the tiger.

Organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India and the Centre for Ecological Movement, the event in Kolkata, west Bengal, also included participation by local schools.

State director for WWF-India Saswati Sen told the ANI news agency: "The number of tigers is going down day by day. So, our demand is to bring the forests and food for the tiger back."

Earlier this month, EU ministers were also alerted to the precarious position of the tiger species with the European Parliament's India delegation hosting a Tiger Day.

"Recent figures show... by 2025 the tiger may be extinct," Neena Gill, president of the European Parliament's India delegation, said at the time.

"India alone cannot tackle this looming extinction. It is time for the European Union to take a stronger role in the international drive to save the tiger."

Eco-tourists can also help to raise awareness of the tiger's fast decreasing population and bring in money which is needed to help protect the animal's habitat.

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