question_answer

Read the passage given below:

1. To ensure its perpetuity, the ground is well held by the panther both in space and in time. It enjoys a much wider distribution over the globe than its bigger cousins, and procreates sufficiently profusely to ensure its continuity for all time to come.

2. There seems to be no particular breeding season of the panther, although it's sawing and caterwauling is more frequently heard during winter and summer. The gestation period is about ninety to hundred days (Whipsnade. ninety-two days). The litter normally consists of four cubs, rarely five. Of these, generally two survive and not more than one reaches maturity. 1 have never come across more than two cubs at the heels of the mother. Likewise, graziers in the forest have generally found only two cubs hidden away among rocks, hollows of trees, and other impossible places.

3. Panther cubs are generally in evidence in March. They are born blind. This is a provision of Nature against their' drifting away from the place of safety in which they area lodged by their mother, and exposing themselves to the danger of their being devoured by hyenas. Jackals, and other predators. They generally open their eyes in about three to four weeks.

4. The mother alone rears its cubs in seclusion. It keeps them out of the reach of the impulsive and impatient male. As a matter of fact the mother separates from the male soon after mating and forgets all about their tumultuous union. The story that the male often looks in to find out how the mother is progressing with her cubs has no foundation except in what we wish it should do at least.

5. The mother carries its cubs about by holding them by the scruff of their necks, in its mouth. It trains them to stalk, and teaches them how to deliver the bite of death to the prey. The cubs learn to treat all and sundry with suspicion at their mother s heels. Instinctively the cubs seek seclusion, keep to cover and protect their flanks by walking along the edge of the forest.

6. I have never had an opportunity to watch a mother panther train its cubs. But in Pilibhit forests, I once saw a tigress giving some lessons to its little ones. 1 was its kill at Mala as the sun set, the tigress materialised in the twilight behind my machan. For about an hour, it scanned and surveyed the entire area looking and listening with the gravest concern. It even went to the road where my elephant was awaiting my signal. The mahout spotted it from a distance and drove the elephant away.

7. When darkness descended upon the scene and all was well and safe the tigress called its cubs by emitting a low haa-oon. The cubs, two in number and bigger than a full- grown cat, soon responded. They came trotting up to their mother and hurried straight to the kill in indecent haste. The mother spitted at them so furiously that they doubled back its heels immediately, Thereafter, the mother and its cubs sat under cover about 50 feet (15m) away from the kill to watch, wait, look, and listen. After about half an hours patience and fidgetless vigil the mother seemed to say paid for'. At this signal, the cubs cautiously advanced, covering their flanks, towards the kill. No longer did they make a beeline for it, as they had done before.

8. The mother sat watching its cubs eat, and mounted guard on them. She did not partake of the meal.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage complete the statements given below with the help of options that follow:

(a) To protect its cubs, the mother panther hides them:

(i) among rocks

(ii) in the branches of the trees

(iii) behind the tree trunks

(iv) at its heels

 

Answer:

(a) (i) among rocks