71. Reading Skills Comprehension: Royal Kingdom of Bharatpur

Royal Kingdom of Bharatpur

Read the following passage carefully and answer the following Questions:-

The erstwhile royal kingdom of Bharatpur, at the heart of the tourist triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, is pining for its most valuable visitors — the Siberian cranes. These winter visitors who help the town to make its name, are dwindling in number.

“The cranes have dwindled in number over the past few years.” says Gargi, a researcher from the Bombay Natural History Society. “Last year there were just five cranes and this season only three have come”, says Ramlal who has observed the cranes for more than thirty years. “Earlier there used to be up to two hundred cranes here, but now it;,. seems they are simply not coming.”

Ornithologists attribute a combination of factors for the declining numbers. Many birds embark on this annual pilgrimage from Russia, but few make it across the skies in of Afghanistan and Pakistan where they are hunted down. Another reason for the declining numbers is habitat loss.

The breeding rate among the Siberian cranes is low; studies in Siberia have put it at just 20 per cent. Experts have been attempting artificial breeding of these birds. Four Siberian cranes at Bharatpur have been bred in captivity. Extensive studies are being done on them, including fixing of radio transmitters to monitor their movement and activities.

The local people worry about the future, “We wonder whether any cranes will come next year,” says a resident. The park is host to a variety of birds like the commonly painted stork, the rare Egyptian Ibis and the purple Heron from Tibet. But the people in Bharatpur would prefer to crane their necks to spot one particular winged visitor.

Answer the following questions briefly:

(i)Who is the most valuable visitor of Bharatpur?

(ii) What are the reasons for the dwindling number of Siberian cranes?

(iii) Why is Siberian crane a reason of concern for Ornithologists?

(iv) What measures are taken to safeguard Siberian cranes?

(v) What do local people worry about?

(vi) The park is host to which kinds of birds?

(vii) Which bird is preferred in Bharatpur?

(viii) Find a word from the passage which means “former”.