7.

Vet in the Forest

Understanding the Text
A. 1. S C De, Chief Wildlife Warden of the State, Subrata
Choudri, an officer specialising in tranquilising animals and
the author, Dhriti K Lahiri- Choudry. They had come to help
the Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department to save a young,
injuredtusker. A veterinary officer joined them later.
2. The young man told them that he knew whereinjured
elephant was. As the animal was unable to move much, the
young man was taking cut branches of trees daily to feed it.
3. They were enormously impressed with what the young
man was doing as the villagers’ fields were regularly ravaged
by these elephants and yet he was kind enough to help one of
them.
4. The injured animal was in the middle of the herd and it
would be impossible to separate the creature from the herd.
The injured elephant was separated from the herd by chasing
away the herd using crackers and a lot of noise by the
villagers.
5. The veterinarian’s earlier experiences had been limited to
langurs where he could take his own time to prepare the
syringe. But here he was to deal with a wild elephant and time
was of the essence.
6. Showing admirable calm, he spread a cloth on the ground
and arranged all the phials on it neatly and methodically,
taking ‘all the time in the world’. The frightened elephant got
restless and began to limp away from them.
7. He first made a deep incision across the swollen part of the
leg to bring out a flow of blood. After the necessary treatment
of the elephant’s leg and a shot of antibiotic, the others
helped thevet to bandage the animal’s leg.
8. a. come out of its drug-induced sleep
b. the team and the villagers to stay on the ground
9. a. tranquilliser
c. antidote
B. 1. a. the injured elephant
b. so that they could cure it fast
c. enthusiastic villagers, two boys came running up
2. a. The team which was following the elephant to cure it.

b. They quickened their footstepsbecause the elephant they

were
following had quickened its steps.
c. The injured elephant lay on its side because the tranquiliser
had caused it to sleep.
3. a. They did not stay around to see if the elephant was
alright on waking up.
b. No. They were not irresponsible but practical.There was no
tree that was strong enough to hold a machan and staying on
the ground when a herd of angry elephants was coming for
them would have been foolish.
c. Yes. The next day they found that the injured elephant had
revived during the night and the herd had taken it away.