Jacala is the name of the crocodile in Rudyard Kipling’s “The Undertakers.”
“The Undertakers” is included in The Second Jungle Book. The story is framed as a conversation among three old animals: Jacala, the crocodile; a vulture; and a badger. Their discussion reflects on violence, survival and the changing world around them.
Jacala is not one of the central characters in the best-known Mowgli stories, which is why his name is easy to overlook. The character belongs to Kipling’s wider jungle community, where animals speak with distinctive personalities and social histories.
This crocodile should not be confused with the crocodile in “The Elephant’s Child,” where a crocodile pulls the young elephant’s nose. That earlier story does not give the crocodile the name Jacala. Jacala is specifically associated with “The Undertakers.”