# Baloo — The Jungle Book character guide

> Baloo in The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** old Baloo, fat old Baloo

**First appearance:** 0002-mowgli-s-brothers

## Snapshot

A sleepy brown bear who drills the Law of the Jungle into a restless man-cub, cuffing him when he strays and rumbling like thunder when he must be serious.

## Who they are

Baloo is the Seeonee pack's teacher, the one who makes Mowgli memorize every verse, water-law, and courtesy owed to bees and bats. He loves the boy but rules him with a heavy paw, and his exasperation flares when Mowgli runs off to the Bandar-log, whom he calls lawless outcastes. His refusal to warn Mowgli about the monkeys is the flaw that sets the story's first great rescue in motion.

## Relationships

### [Mowgli](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/mowgli)

_friendship_

Baloo is Mowgli's jovial and patient teacher, instructing him in the Law of the Jungle with fatherly care.

### [Bagheera](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/bagheera)

_friendship_

Bagheera and Baloo are close allies and co-mentors to Mowgli, often debating the best way to raise and protect him.

### [Kaa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/kaa)

_friendship_

Baloo and Kaa are fellow jungle elders who cooperate to help Mowgli, despite Kaa's hypnotic and mysterious nature.

### [Bagheera](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/bagheera)

_friendship_

Bagheera and Baloo are close allies and co-mentors to Mowgli, often debating the best way to raise and protect him.

### [Mowgli](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/mowgli)

_friendship_

Baloo is Mowgli's jovial and patient teacher, instructing him in the Law of the Jungle with fatherly care.

### [Kaa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/kaa)

_friendship_

Baloo and Kaa are fellow jungle elders who cooperate to help Mowgli, despite Kaa's hypnotic and mysterious nature.

### [Mowgli](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/mowgli)

_friendship_

Baloo is Mowgli's jovial and patient teacher, instructing him in the Law of the Jungle with fatherly care.

### [Bagheera](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/bagheera)

_friendship_

Bagheera and Baloo are close allies and co-mentors to Mowgli, often debating the best way to raise and protect him.

### [Kaa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/kaa)

_friendship_

Baloo and Kaa are fellow jungle elders who cooperate to help Mowgli, despite Kaa's hypnotic and mysterious nature.

## In the story

### [Kaa's Hunting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/chapters/kaa-s-hunting)

The bear who teaches Mowgli the Law of the Jungle and helps rescue him.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters/baloo
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_jungle_book_se/characters