Saroj Raj Choudhury was an Indian environmentalist, wildlife conservationist, writer[1] and the first Forest Conservator under the Government of Odisha.
[11] 1974 was a landmark year in Choudhury's life when the Kharia tribals brought a female tiger cub found near the Khairi river.
[10] They also reared several other wild animals at their residence such as a crocodile, a bear cub named Jumbu, a blind hyena called Baina and a mongoose, all of them roamed free in his courtyard.
[6] Choudhury had close ties with other conservationists such as Salim Ali, who supported the initiative to establish Khairi Wildlife Institute, which did not materialise, allegedly due to disinterestedness shown by the authorities.
[7] Choudhury, did not survive Khairi for long,[10][12] after the tigress was euthanised by an overdose of tranquilizers when she contracted rabies from a dog bite.