Akela (Jungle Book)

Akela (Jungle Book)

Akela (also called The Lone Wolf or Big Wolf) is a fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's stories, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book. He is the leader of the Seeonee pack of Indian wolves and presides over the pack's council meetings. It is at such a meeting that the pack adopts the lost child Mowgli and Akela becomes one of Mowgli's mentors.

Akela means "single or solitary" in Hindi, Kipling also calls him the Lone Wolf:

Kipling portrays Akela with the character of an English gentleman. This is shown by his recurring references to the honour of the pack. He is large and grey and leads the pack by virtue of his strength and cunning.

The leader of a group of the boys' scouting organisation, the Cubs, is called Akela after this character. The cubs usually chant in ritual meetings, "Akela, we'll do our best".