International Tiger Day 2025: Raised Like a Daughter, Killed by a Dog—The Heartbreaking Tale of Tigress Khairi

On International Tiger Day 2025, while the world celebrates the majestic tiger and efforts to conserve its population, a deeply emotional and rare story from India reminds us of the fragile intersection between humans and wildlife. This is the true tale of Khairi, a tigress raised like a daughter by a forest officer, who ultimately lost her life to a stray dog bite, leaving behind a legacy of love, loss, and lessons on wildlife-human bonds.

A Tigress Abandoned by Her Mother, Adopted by a Human

The story begins on October 3, 1974, in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. Locals brought a frail and abandoned tiger cub to Saroj Raj Choudhury, the founding director of the reserve and a senior forest officer. The cub’s mother had left her to die, but destiny had other plans.

@ParveenKaswan it's the video of Khairi, the tiger..... Have a look on it..... pic.twitter.com/mEw3SuHuxR

— Sunil Sai Debasish (@SaiDebasish) July 19, 2020

As soon as the cub was placed in Choudhury’s arms, she clung to him—marking the beginning of an extraordinary bond.

Named After a River, Loved Like a Daughter

Saroj Raj named the tigress Khairi, after a nearby river. She soon became more than just a rescued animal—she became family. Saroj and his wife Nihar Choudhury cared for her like their own child. Khairi grew up in their bungalow, refusing to eat unless Nihar personally fed her.

What made this bond even more unique was her friendship with the family dog. Visitors and tourists from across the country came to witness this rare harmony between a wild predator and domestic life. News of this remarkable relationship even reached then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

A Wild Animal That Forgot Its Wild Roots

As Khairi grew older, Saroj tried several times to reintroduce her to the jungle. But years of living among humans had made her lose her hunting instincts. Her attempts to return to the wild often ended in injuries, as other wild tigers rejected her presence, sensing the unfamiliar scent of humans on her.

She was no longer accepted by her own kind. Khairi had become a creature caught between two worlds—too wild to be a pet, too humanized to be wild.

A Tragic Turn: Rabies Claims the Tigress's Life

The tragedy struck on March 28, 1981. While Saroj was away, a stray dog wandered into their compound. Khairi, following her instincts, attacked the dog. However, in the scuffle, the dog bit her—and it turned out to be infected with rabies.

Khairi fought for her life for two long months, battling the viral infection. As her health deteriorated, so did Saroj’s emotional strength. Watching her suffer daily became unbearable.

A Painful Goodbye

Eventually, Saroj made the heart-wrenching decision to put her out of her misery by administering an overdose of medication—a final act of mercy for the tigress he had once cradled like a child.

But the separation devastated him. Within a year of Khairi’s death, Saroj Raj Choudhury also passed away, leaving behind a legacy of love, conservation, and an unforgettable tale of emotional connection between man and beast.

Lessons from Khairi’s Story

• Wild animals are not meant to be tamed, no matter how loving the environment. Their instincts and biology can never be fully suppressed.

• Human-animal bonds, while beautiful, can have unintended consequences when the lines between wilderness and domesticity blur.

• The emotional toll of such relationships is immense, as seen in Saroj Raj’s story.

• The incident underlines the importance of proper wildlife rehabilitation, not dependency.

Conclusion:
On a day dedicated to the protection and celebration of tigers, Khairi’s story reminds us of the complex reality of wildlife conservation. It is not just about saving species, but about respecting the natural instincts and spaces of these majestic animals. As we honor tigers today, may we also remember Khairi—a tigress raised with love but ultimately lost between two worlds.