A Day with Nandu – Class 4 EVS NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for A Day with Nandu, Class 4 EVS NCERT. This chapter teaches us important lessons about elephants’ social behavior, family bonds, and the importance of living freely in their natural habitat. It also helps us understand how animals should be treated with kindness and respect, rather than being used for entertainment or forced labor.

Chapter Summary (English)

This chapter follows a young elephant named Nandu and his life with his elephant herd. The story begins with Nandu waking up surrounded by what he initially thinks are grey tree trunks, but are actually the legs of his family members. Led by Nani ma (the oldest female elephant), the herd moves to the jungle for food and then to the river for playtime. The chapter describes various aspects of elephant life – their eating habits, sleeping patterns, and social structure. It also touches on important themes like animal welfare, focusing on how different animals are sometimes treated poorly for human entertainment. The chapter emphasizes the natural behavior of elephants in their habitat and their strong family bonds.

अध्याय सार (Hindi)

यह अध्याय एक छोटे हाथी नंदू और उसके हाथी झुंड के साथ जीवन का वर्णन करता है। कहानी नंदू के जागने से शुरू होती है, जहाँ वह खुद को बड़े भूरे पेड़ों के तनों से घिरा हुआ पाता है, जो वास्तव में उसके परिवार के सदस्यों के पैर होते हैं। नानी मा (सबसे बड़ी मादा हाथी) के नेतृत्व में, झुंड भोजन के लिए जंगल और फिर खेलने के लिए नदी की ओर जाता है। अध्याय हाथियों के जीवन के विभिन्न पहलुओं – उनकी खाने की आदतों, नींद के पैटर्न और सामाजिक संरचना का वर्णन करता है। यह पशु कल्याण जैसे महत्वपूर्ण विषयों पर भी प्रकाश डालता है, यह दर्शाता है कि कैसे विभिन्न जानवरों के साथ मनोरंजन के लिए बुरा व्यवहार किया जाता है। अध्याय हाथियों के प्राकृतिक व्यवहार और उनके मजबूत पारिवारिक बंधन पर जोर देता है।

Word Meanings

Exercise Solutions

Find out:

1. Nandu is only three months old, but he weighs 200 kilograms. What is your weight?

As a Class 4 student, my weight is around 30 kilograms. This shows how much bigger and heavier elephants are compared to humans, even when they are just babies!

2. Can you find out – the weight of how many children like you will add up to Nandu’s weight?

Let me calculate: – My weight = 30 kg – Nandu’s weight = 200 kg – Number of children = 200 ÷ 30 = 6.67 So, it would take about 7 children of my age to equal Nandu’s weight! This shows that even baby elephants are incredibly heavy animals.

Think and Write:

1. Why do you think the egret is sitting on the buffalo?

The egret sits on the buffalo because they have a symbiotic relationship. The egret gets food by eating insects and small creatures that are around or on the buffalo’s body. In return, the buffalo gets rid of these parasites. This is a beautiful example of how different animals in nature help each other.

2. Have you seen any animal riding on another animal? Write its name.

Yes, I have observed several examples:
The animal which is riding:

• Egrets on cattle
• Monkeys on deer
• Small birds on elephants

• Cattle/Buffalo
• Deer
• Elephants

3. Which animals do we use for riding?

Several animals are used for riding purposes:

• Horses – Most commonly used for riding worldwide
• Elephants – Often used in wildlife sanctuaries and some tourist places
• Camels – Commonly used in desert areas
• Ponies – Used for children’s rides
• Donkeys – Used in hilly areas and some tourist places

4. Which animals do we use for carrying loads?

Various animals help humans in carrying loads:

• Donkeys – Carry loads in hilly areas and construction sites
• Horses – Used for pulling carts and carrying goods
• Camels – Transport goods across desert regions
• Elephants – Carry heavy logs in forest areas
• Oxen/Bulls – Pull carts and carry farming equipment
• Mules – Carry loads in mountainous regions

General Questions:

1. If you were Nandu, and you lived in a herd, what kind of things would you do?

If I were Nandu living in a herd, I would:

• Play with my cousins and siblings in the river
• Learn to use my trunk to spray water and pick up food
• Stay close to my mother and drink her milk
• Follow Nani ma (the oldest female) and learn from her wisdom
• Help protect younger elephants in the herd
• Enjoy mud baths to keep cool
• Learn to communicate with other elephants through sounds and gestures

2. In the elephant herd, the oldest female elephant decides everything. Who takes decisions in your family?

In my family, important decisions are usually taken jointly by my parents. They discuss things together and consider everyone’s opinions. Sometimes, for specific matters:

• Education-related decisions are mainly taken by my father
• Daily household decisions are taken by my mother
• For important family matters, they also consult with grandparents
• Children’s preferences are also considered for matters concerning us

3. Make a collage of a herd of elephants in your notebook.

To make an elephant herd collage, I would:

• Collect pictures of elephants from old magazines, newspapers, and printouts
• Arrange them to show different activities – some eating, some playing, some walking
• Include baby elephants and adult elephants to show the family structure
• Add some background elements like trees and water bodies
• Use good quality glue to stick them properly
• Label different elephants showing their roles in the herd

4. Nandu did things that he liked to do. If you could spend a whole day with your friends, what all would you do?

If I could spend a whole day with my friends, I would:

• Play outdoor games like cricket, hide and seek, and kho-kho
• Share our favorite snacks during breaks
• Read story books together and share our favorite parts
• Do some creative activities like drawing or craft-making
• Play indoor board games
• Learn new skills from each other

5. Find out and write, which other animals live in herds.

Many animals live in herds. Here are some examples:

• Deer – Live in groups for protection from predators
• Zebras – Travel together in search of grasslands
• Buffalo – Move in large groups
• Sheep – Stay together for safety
• Cows – Graze together in groups
• Dolphins – Swim in pods (groups)
• Wildebeest – Famous for their group migrations

6. Do you also live in a group? Do you like to live together like that? Why would you like or not like to live in a group?

Why I would like:

• Get help and support when needed
• Share happiness and celebrations together
• Learn from each other’s experiences
• Feel safe and protected
• Never feel lonely

• Sometimes need personal space
• Have to adjust with others’ habits
• Need to share things
• Can’t always do things my way

7. How do elephants feel when they are kept in chains? Discuss and share your feelings.

When elephants are kept in chains, they likely feel:

• Sad and restricted in their movement
• Unable to perform their natural behaviors
• Separated from their family and herd
• Physically uncomfortable and pained
• Mentally stressed due to lack of freedom

8. Have you ever taken a ride on an elephant? How did it feel?

Yes, I once took an elephant ride at a sanctuary. It felt:

• Very high up from the ground
• Slightly scary but exciting
• Different from any other animal ride
• Amazing to experience how these gentle giants move
• Made me realize how important it is to treat them with respect

9. Which animals have you sat on? Write their names.

I have sat on these animals:

• Horse – During a visit to a hill station
• Camel – On a trip to Rajasthan
• Pony – At a local fair

10. You must have seen many animals around you – in books, in movies. Find out more about any one of these animals and write about it.

I would like to write about the Lion:

• Lions are known as the ‘King of the Jungle’
• They live in groups called pride
• Female lions (lionesses) do most of the hunting
• Male lions protect the pride and territory
• Baby lions are called cubs
• They are found in Africa and the Gir Forest of India
• Lions are social animals and work together to survive
• They communicate through roars that can be heard up to 5 miles away

Discuss:

1. You have read what these animals say. Why do you think that some of them are sad?

These animals are sad because:

• They are forced to perform against their will
• They are kept in captivity instead of their natural habitat
• Many suffer physical pain (like horses with horseshoes)
• They don’t get enough food
• They face cruel treatment and beatings
• They are separated from their families
• They can’t live freely and naturally as they should

2. How do you think they are different – the monkeys that dance to entertain people and the monkeys that are free?

The differences between captive and free monkeys are: Free Monkeys:

• Live naturally in forests with their families
• Choose what to eat and when to eat
• Play and move freely
• Learn natural behaviors from their group
• Express themselves naturally

• Live in captivity away from their families
• Depend on handlers for food
• Forced to perform unnatural acts
• Face punishment and harsh training
• Cannot behave naturally

3. How many legs does this elephant have?

Looking at the optical illusion in the image, at first glance it appears to have many legs, but when we look carefully, the elephant has only 4 legs. This is a famous optical illusion that tricks our eyes into seeing more legs than actually exist. It teaches us that sometimes we need to look at things carefully to understand what is real.

Make Your Own Elephant (Activity):

To make the paper elephant, follow these steps carefully:

1. Take a thick sheet of paper and copy the elephant drawing in a larger size
2. Make careful cuts where marked with scissors (✄) symbol, being careful not to cut off any parts
3. Fold along all the dotted lines (…..) to create dimension
4. For the parts marked with pattern (///////), fold and tuck them underneath
5. Cut out the tail piece separately
6. Attach the tail to the elephant’s body
7. Color the elephant using crayons or colored pencils
8. Add creative decorations like patterns or designs
9. Display your elephant in the class exhibition