Akela is the wolf pack leader in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. He leads the Seeonee pack of Indian wolves and presides over the council where the pack accepts the human child Mowgli.
Kipling presents Akela as a large, gray, intelligent wolf whose authority comes from strength, judgment, and experience. His name is often translated from Hindi as “alone” or “solitary,” and Kipling also gives him the title “the Lone Wolf.” He represents the pack’s law and traditions while serving as one of Mowgli’s important mentors.
Akela’s leadership is challenged when Shere Khan persuades younger wolves to turn against him. After a deliberately staged hunt exposes Akela’s weakened position, he leaves the pack rather than remain its leader. Phao eventually takes his place, and Akela later helps Mowgli confront Shere Khan.
Akela appears in both The Jungle Book, published in 1894, and The Second Jungle Book, published in 1895. Later film versions change details about his role, which can cause confusion between Kipling’s original character and adaptations.