Chapter 4.1 – The Vet
Warming up!
(1) Where do we find all types of wild animals in urban areas?
Ans: We find all types of wild animals in urban areas, mainly in a zoo or any other sanctuary or national park.
(2) Do you have a pet?
Ans: Yes, I have a pet. It is a black cat named Kitty.
(3) How do we help animals and birds?
Ans: We should help animals and birds by providing them with food, water, and shelter. We should also help them by taking them to the vet when they are ill. We should take care of them and treat them with love and affection.
(4) How do we realise that animals are not feeling well?
Ans: When animals are not well, they become quiet and inactive. Some may even groan. They also stop eating food. Animals will use many parts of their bodies to convey various feelings. Being aware of how your pet moves his body can indicate whether he is happy, sick, or even angry.
(5) Who gives medicine / treatment to sick animals and birds?
Ans: The doctor who treats animals is called a veterinarian.
1. The doctors who do special advanced study of specific parts of the body have special terms. In your group try to match the specialist doctors with who / what they treat.
In your group try to match the specialist doctors with who / what they treat.
| Specialists | Who/What they treat | ||
|---|---|---|---|
(1) | Dentist | a. | bones |
(2) | Cardiologist | b. | brain/nervous system |
(3) | Opthalmalogist | c. | small kids |
(4) | Orthopedic | d. | teeth |
(5) | Pediatrician | e. | animals / birds |
(6) | Neurologist | f. | eyes |
(7) | Veterinarian | g. | heart |
Ans:
| Specialists | Who/What they treat | ||
|---|---|---|---|
(1) | Dentist | a. | teeth |
(2) | Cardiologist | b. | heart |
(3) | Opthalmalogist | c. | eyes |
(4) | Orthopedic | d. | bones |
(5) | Pediatrician | e. | small kids |
(6) | Neurologist | f. | animals / birds |
(7) | Veterinarian | g. | brain/nervous system |
2. Discuss in your group and write down the most important reason, why Pediatricians and Veterinarians have, a tougher job to diagnose their patients’ illnesses.
Ans: Pediatricians and veterinarians have a more difficult job diagnosing their patients’ illnesses because their patients cannot express their concerns. The infants are unable to express their illness and often cry. On the other hand, animals cannot talk. As a result, they are also unable to express themselves. While treating them, the respective physicians must exercise patience. They have to identify the problems by examining them.
In Between the Poetry!
Q1. Why is it so difficult to be a successful vet?
Ans: It is so difficult to be a successful vet because one needs immense knowledge for each of the patients as they possess different types and sizes of organs inside the body.
Q2. What is wrong with ducks and chickens?
Ans: The ducks and chickens are failing to lay eggs.
Q3. What opposite health problems do the lion and the Arctic fox suffer from?
Ans: The lion caught cold and Artic fox is affected with too much heat.
Q4. Why have the giraffes got stiff necks?
Ans: The giraffes have stiff necks because they had a fight among themselves.
Q5. Why does the poet call the vet
‘omniscient’?
Ans: The poet calls the wet ‘omniscient’ because he is expected to know everything about animals. The vet knows about the illnesses and treatments of all animals, so he is called omniscient.
Q6. What is the poet’s advice to you? Do you think he means it?
Ans: The poet advises us to earn our living in an easier way. It is advisable to treat human beings rather than animals.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
1. What is the Rhyme scheme of stanzas 1 to 3 and the last two stanzas? How does it differ in the remaining stanzas, 4 to 7?
Ans: The alternating lines rhyme in stanzas 1 – 3 and in the last two stanzas, i.e. the rhyme is abab and cdcd. However, for stanza 4 – 7, the rhymes are aab ccb.
2. Write any five illnesses of the animals in the poem that you find most amusing / laughable.
Ans:
(a) The panther has a wife who chews his ears.
(b) The lion has caught a cold.
(c) Monkey’s pinched his tail.
(d) The centipede has trouble with his feet.
(e) The bear’s too full of buns.
3. (A) Out of all names of birds and animals given in the poem, pick out 4 names that are similar in English as well as in Hindi / Marathi or your mother tongue.
Ans: Zebra, Cobra, Kangaroo, Chimpanzees, Giraffe, Hippo and Bear.
(B) Write four reasons why animals in a zoo suffer more than those who live free in the wild.
Ans:
(i) The quantity of food in the zoo is limited whereas in the forest they have plenty to eat.
(ii) In the zoo, the movement of animals is restricted whereas in the forest they are allowed to move as per their will.
(iii) In the zoo, animals are troubles and teased by human visitors.
(iv) In the zoo, due to limited area, the transmission of the disease is easy.
4. Think deeply and write. Is the poet really discouraging the youth from becoming vets? Explain your response.
Ans: On a lighter note, I think the poet is discouraging youth from becoming vets. The author describes the difficulties faced by a vet. He tells the youth that the wage of the vet is incredibly low compared to his effortful studies and the difficulties of his job. He advises the youth to rather become general doctors and treat humans rather than animals.
5. Find out from a vet or from a website, what precautions a vet has to take, when he / she is called to treat wild, dangerous animals? Make point-wise notes of the same.
Ans: Precautions that a vet must take are written as follows:
(i) A vet must stay alert all the time.
(ii) Should go near the animals gently and carefully.
(iii) Should wear precautionary clothing for self-protection, such as gloves, masks, helmets, etc.
(iv) The behaviour of animals should be known.
(v) Restrain land for animals.
6. Select any four zoo animals mentioned in the poem. Imagine that they are able to talk in English. Compose a dialogue among the four animals discussing their discomfort and illnesses.
Ans:
Discussing illness:
Giraffe: “Ouch, my neck hurts!” the whole length of it! How lucky you are, tortoise, to have such a short neck!
Tortoise: Lucky! Do you know what it means to take ages to move afoot? How difficult is it to permanently carry your home on your back?
Kangaroo: You find it difficult to move your feet. What about me? My legs are of unequal length; I cannot walk comfortably. I’m expected to jump around. I’m sick and tired of jumping. I want to walk gracefully like you, madam hippo.
Hippo: Really, my foot! I’m walking so slowly because I’m feeling ill, and I do not know which part of this huge body is actually painting. You, tortoise, have such a small body. Not much searching is needed to find out the cause of the problem.
Tortoise: Problem! I only want to be able to move quickly so that I can escape my enemies and exercise my limbs.
Giraffe: I agree with madam hippo. The bigger the body, the more of it has to be investigated to find the problem. My doctor is never able to find out which part of my neck actually aches.
Kangaroo: Try balancing yourself on legs of unequal length and having to jump all the time, keeping your baby in your pouch.
Hippo: Ok, we all have our own problems. Let’s hope that the doctor who looks after us has enough knowledge and experience to cure us. He cannot even understand what we say!
All the others: How true!
Discussing discomfort:
Tiger: I am sick of living here, in the caged walls of my artificial lair. I miss my freedom in the forest.
Hippo: Same here. I also miss living near freshwater rivers. The water in the artificial lake stinks. I miss my comrades.
Monkey: I feel I will die of suffocation too. There are hardly five trees. I am tired of jumping on them.
Rhino: I just wonder how men will feel if we confine them to a limited area!
Tiger: Who will put this in man’s head that we animals also love freedom?
Rhino: Man has kept animals in zoos for his pleasure, entertainment, and convenience. This is man’s cruelty to animals!
Monkey: Have animals ever encroached into man’s world and hunted him? Has any animal ever captured a man? If man were treated with the same cruelty, how would he feel? Certainly, he would feel the pain, hurt, suffering, and torture of being in the cage.
Hippo: Man must realise animals are physically and mentally healthier in the wild than in zoos. They are able to get more exercise as they can run around and hunt in larger land spaces in the wilderness.
Tiger: Man has forgotten his duty. Let’s pray to God for freedom. Only God can help us.
All together: “O God help us, or we will die.”