Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
One would imagine that at the very sight of the panther, deer, antelopes and its other preys
would just run for their lives. Nothing of the sort! They all stand their ground and make such a
loud noise that the panther is left with no other choice except to leave quietly. I have seen a
tiny chital baby standing in the middle of an opening in the forest, stamping its feet on the
ground and shooing away a tiger. With the white of its erect tail showing, it kept up its shrill
call until the tiger made itself scarce. No tiger in its senses would attempt to catch such an
impertinent brat, just as you would not dream of catching an offending crow cawing away in
your veranda.
While the panther sticks to cover and hugs the edge of the forest, the game animals, on the
other hand, like to assemble right out in open vast grazing grounds. Open spaces which the
panther carefully avoids, are what the game animals deliberately seek.
It is difficult to describe the pandemonium kicked up by various animals when they spot or
suspect a panther around. The chital strikes a shrill note, the kakar emits a deafening bark
and the sambar rings a bell. The peacock on its perch, the jungle fowl on the ground, and the
monkey on treetops, all join in the chorus of condemnation of the panther. They curse the
panther in their own inimitable language. The resulting confusion of sounds is so irritating to
the sharp ears of the panther that it is left with no other option except to go away.
The panther has thus to deal with its ever alert and watchful associate who show no mercy
and expect none. It is a fight between finesse and flight, between clever attack and skilful
defence.
Contrary to the common belief, the panther never springs upon its prey suddenly. It stalks as
close to its victim as it can manage, and then makes the final dash by rushing at it at a
lightning speed.
What does the phrase ‘stand their ground’ mean?