The Seeonee wolf pack is a group of Indian wolves led by Akela in The Jungle Book. They live in the Seeonee region of the jungle.
Background[]
The Seeonee pack is led by Akela, the pack alpha. The commander of a large pack, Akela ensures that all his charges obey the law of the jungle. Amongst his many pack-mates are his mate Leah, Raksha and her son Grey Brother, and Rama, Raksha's mate. Bagheera the panther serves as an honorary council member for the wolf pack due to his strong friendship with the pack.
Appearances[]
The Jungle Book[]
The Seeonee pack's role in the 1967 film is minor; most of the wolves are not seen until Akela summons them to discuss the return of the man-eating Shere Khan to their part of the jungle. The members seen most often until this point are Raksha, Rama and their pups, who adopt and look after Mowgli after Bagheera leaves him in their care, knowing they can protect him from harm. When word reaches the pack of Shere Khan returning to their part of the jungle, Akela calls a meeting of all his wolves and all agree that Mowgli must leave for his own safety. Though Rama believes Mowgli is entitled to the pack's protection, Akela reminds him that even the strength of the pack cannot match Shere Khan's. Bagheera then settles the matter by saying that he will take Mowgli to the Man-village that he knows of, settling the dispute. Akela wishes Bagheera luck and the pack watches as he leaves to take Mowgli to safety. They are not seen again for the rest of the film.
Jungle Cubs[]
In Jungle Cubs, Akela and his new mate, Leah, form the Seeonee pack when they leave Cain's pack in the episode "The Coming of the Wolves". During the events of this episode, Leah drew the attention of Cain, but spurned his romantic advances, causing them to run away together. Though they end up in a falling-out with the cubs upon meeting them (due to the wolves taking their lair), they soon band together to face Cain and his pack, with Akela eventually defeating Cain in battle. After, Leah gives birth to eight pups and the pair name Bagheera, Shere Khan, Hathi, Kaa and Louie alike as the pups' godfathers.
Live-action appearances[]
Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book[]
The wolves in this live action remake were mostly portrayed by wolfdogs. Scenes featuring these characters were filmed at Fall Creek Falls State Park in Spencer, Tennessee.
After Mowgli and Grey Brother find themselves lost in the jungle, the panther Bagheera leads the two across the lush environment where in the waterfall is a wolf pack frolicking across the scenery followed the pack happily staring at Mowgli knowing that they saw the man-cub again. Over lifetime, Mowgli continues adapting his life in the jungle with the Seeonee wolves following him as he continues transitioning from boy to man.
When a grown-up Mowgli returns to the jungle, the Seeonee Pack then runs along with Mowgli, Grey Brother, and Bagheera in a plan to find Dr. Julius Plumford to save Baloo's life only to find out the doctor left with Kitty and her father Colonel Brydon. Mowgli then takes William Boone and his group to explore the jungle around them, just as the Seeonee Pack and Bagheera spy on Mowgli bringing humans to the jungle, believing that Boone and his soldiers are a threat to the jungle. After escaping King Louie's temple and Shere Khan seeing that Mowgli is not harming the jungle animals, Mowgli takes Kitty to the Seeonee Pack where the wolves stare at Mowgli and Kitty falling in love just as Mowgli becomes the protector of the jungle at the end of the film.
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story[]
In The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story, Akela and Raksha both lead the Seeonee wolf pack. Li'l Raksha is their daughter, and they adopt Mowgli into their family.
Mowgli finds himself encountering a wolf pack led by Akela whom they call him a man-cub. With Mowgli accepted into the family under Raksha's request to her husband Akela, Tabaqui interrupts this moment just as Akela and Raksha confront the hyena for being an unwelcome guest. Mowgli ends up adapting his life under care by Akela and Raksha. Days later, Mowgli reflect himself to return to the Seeonee Pack to which during the meeting, Akela and Raksha's daughter Li'l Raksha has grown up and is able to hunt with the pack. It is also said that it is a tradition for their older member Biranyi to discuss about the spring hunt to which Mowgli is chosen to join the pack to which upon hearing a wolf scout warning the pack, it is shown that Shere Khan has survived in a plan to take revenge against Mowgli just as Akela continues his meeting with Mowgli and Li'l Raksha who are accepted into the pack.
The next day, Akela talks to his pack during a hunting lesson in a plan to hunt deer to help Mowgli stand up against Shere Khan, telling the wolves that they will split into three groups, telling Mowgli that he and Raksha will hide behind the left side of the ridge while Li'l Raksha, Mowgli, and two other hunters will come up from the right side with assistance from some brother wolves straight up a hill to cut off their escape just as Akela gives out the signal. During the plan, Mowgli participates with two brother wolves to see who is faster in a plan to retrieve the deer for the wolves to which as the deer scatter, Akela alerts the brother wolves to catch them before they escape only for Mowgli to not catch one single deer, much to Akela's disappointment, as the wolves are very upset for not helping the wolves catch at least one deer. As the brother wolves leave in disappointment, Akela then discusses with Mowgli that he was supposed to wait, much to Mowgli trying to explain to him that he is different in his family, despite not being a wolf himself just as Mowgli leaves in frustration, much to Akela and Raksha's worry of Mowgli leaving the pack.
After Raksha was killed by Shere Khan, the Seeonee pack was falling apart with no leadership, nor order, and when Hathi brought Mowgli home, he knew the horrible reason of what happened to Mowgli's wolf mother. Noticing of what happened to Raksha, Akela recaps of Raksha who sacrificed her life to save Mowgli. He then gives a speech that Raksha's spirit will live in his family's hearts as Mowgli's wolf family and the friends of the jungle mourn Raksha's death. After Mowgli learns about this, he admits that it was his fault in causing this and decides to leave the jungle, not noticing of Shere Khan stalking him in the jungle.
Furthermore, when Mowgli regains his confidence, the Seeonee pack arrives and assists Mowgli in combat alongside Baloo, Bagheera, and Hathi. During the battle, Mowgli urges Shere Khan to step down from being a tyrant in the jungle along which he confronts him during battle alongside Shere Khan. The battle ends when Mowgli banishes Shere Khan and Tabaqui during battle. Following the aftermath, the wolves who were bullying Mowgli apologize to him for their harsh actions just as Mowgli accepts Li'l Raksha to be the leader of the pack which she promises to be a good leader.
The Jungle Book (2016)[]
The Seeonee wolf pack's role in the film is much greater; they are actively shown training Mowgli to learn the ways of the wolves and the laws of the jungle alongside their younger members, with Bagheera serving as their mentor. The wolf pack is again led by Akela, with Raksha serving as Mowgli's mother and protector and Grey Brother, still a puppy, serving as Mowgli's adoptive sibling. During the drought in an event known as the Water Truce, the Seeonee pack comes to drink at the watering hole peacefully alongside the other animals. Mowgli's inventive tricks during their visit unnerve the pack, causing Akela to gently reprimand the boy.
When Shere Khan comes to the watering hole, tension arises when the tiger states that man is forbidden in the jungle, including the man-cub. Though he respects the sanctity of the Water Truce, he asks the pack how many lives Mowgli is worth and to give him an answer by the start of the rainy season before leaving. This leaves the pack divided on whether Mowgli should stay or go, causing Mowgli to leave so he can ensure their safety. Though Raksha protests to this, she agrees in the end that it is the only way to protect him.
When next the pack is seen, Shere Khan comes demanding the Man-cub, only for Akela to say that he has left to be with other humans. Deciding to lure the boy back out, he kills Akela by throwing him off a cliff and instates himself as their new leader, telling the wolves to spread the word of Akela's death so that it reaches Mowgli's ears. During his time as leader, Shere Khan also punishes Raksha by subtly threatening her pups and trying to influence them into hating humans through use of stories.
When Mowgli brings fire into the forest, the Seeonee pack and the other animals gather at the watering hole and see the boy face Shere Khan. Inspired by his refusal to fight Shere Khan with fire after seeing that he accidentally caused a forest fire, the wolves, alongside Baloo the bear and Bagheera, fight Shere Khan to give Mowgli enough time to set a trap in the burning jungle and kill Shere Khan, ending the tiger's reign of terror. They then salute him with howls for his victory over Shere Khan and his calling the elephants to help put out the fire. With peace restored, Raksha takes Akela's place as alpha wolf and re-accepts Mowgli into the wolf pack.
Trivia[]
- The Seeonee pack's role in the books is great; among the many feats they accomplish are their raising of Mowgli, helping him to get revenge on Buldeo for branding him a witch, and defeating the Dholes, red dogs that destroy everything in their paths.
- Shere Khan has a much more prominent influence on the young wolves of the Seeonee pack in the books.
- The name of "Seeonee" is an intentional misspelling by Rudyard Kipling, and the name comes from the area of India called the Seoni region, which is located in Madhya Pradesh.
