Saroj Raj Choudhury

Saroj Raj Choudhury was an Indian environmentalist, wildlife conservationist, writer and the first Forest Conservator under the Government of Odisha. He was also the founder director of the Simlipal National Park, in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state of Odisha. Choudhury was known for the pugmark technique he employed for tiger census and for his comradeship with Khairi, a domesticated tigress. His experiences with the animal has been documented in a book, Khairi: The Beloved Tigress, written by him and published in 1977. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1983.

Biography Saroj Raj Choudhury, born in Odisha, started his career as a forest officer in the Government of Odisha’s service and rose in ranks to become a wildlife conservation officer, the first person to occupy the post. Later, he was transferred as the head of the Forest Research Institute, founded in 1878 by the German forester, Dietrich Brandis. When Simlipal Tiger Reserve was established in 1972, Choudhury was made its founder field director and the head of Project Tiger with his headquarters in Baripada.

1974 was a landmark year in Choudhury's life when the Kharia tribals brought a female tiger cub found near the Khairi river. He and Nihar Nalini Swain, took the cub into their care and converted their quarters at Jashipur in such a way to accommodate the wild animal. The cub, named Khairi after the river she was found near, remained with the couple for number of years even after it was full grown.

Choudhury was credited with several initiatives in the field of wildlife conservation. He was the first to introduce the pugmark methodology for the census of tigers in India, a technique he introduced while heading the first tiger census in India in 1972 which later became a popular method used all over India. he conducted research on the behaviour patterns of tigers, especially on the topic of pheromones, He also introduced the use of tranquilizers for capturing wild tuskers. and his autobiographical book, Khairi, The Beloved Tigress. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor, in 1983. Choudhury, did not survive Khairi for long, after the tigress was euthanised by an overdose of tranquilizers when she contracted rabies from a dog bite.