Brij Raj Sharma

Retired as Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, West Bengal (India) on June 30th, 2016 after completing 32 years of service as an Indian Forest Service officer and has also held office as Member Secretary of the Central Zoo Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India (2004-09), as well as of West Bengal Zoo Authority (2013-16). He has also served as the Director of National Zoological Park, New Delhi (1997-2000) and of Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling (2000-04).

In total, has 25 years long intensive work experience of working full time in the Wildlife Conservation Wing of Forest Department with the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal, managing wild life sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserves, elephant reserves, natural history museum, zoological parks, central and state zoo authorities. He has authored two books - Zoos in India and Zoos in West Bengal, and published numerous research papers in reputed international journals. He has also written three Management Plans (for different national parks/wild life sanctuaries), two detailed project report and six Master Plans (for different zoos) in India.

He is a member of IUCN/SSC - Conservation Planning Specialist Group and Re-Introduction Specialist Group and has travelled widely - organising, addressing and participating in several national as well as international conferences/workshops including meetings of WAZA and CPSG/SSC/IUCN. He also holds a PhD degree (Chemistry) and an advance diploma in Wildlife Management from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.