<Ul> <Li> Mowgli ( मोगली Maogalī ; feral child ) - Also referred to as `` Man Cub '' . </Li> <Li> Jungle characters - The following characters reside in the jungle . <Ul> <Li> Seeonee Wolf Pack <Ul> <Li> Akela ( अकेला Akēlā , `` alone '' ; Indian wolf ) - The leader of the wolf pack . </Li> <Li> Raksha ( रक्षा Rakṣā , `` protection '' ; Indian wolf ) - Also called Mother Wolf , she is Mowgli 's adoptive mother </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Baloo ( भालू Bhālū , `` bear '' ; Himalayan brown bear ) - Mowgli 's best friend . In Kipling 's book , he is described as a sleepy old brown bear , who teaches Mowgli the law of the jungle . </Li> <Li> Bagheera ( बघीरा Baghīrā ; بگیڑہ Bagīrah , `` black panther '' ; black panther variety of Indian leopard ) - Mowgli 's mentor . </Li> <Li> Bandar - log ( बन्दर - लोग Bandar - lōg , `` monkey - folks '' ; grey langurs ) - A group of monkeys who are treated as pariahs for their scatterbrained anarchy . They kidnap the very young Mowgli , who is rescued by Bagheera , Baloo , and Kaa . </Li> <Li> Kaa ( का Kā ; Indian rock python ) - Mowgli 's wise mentor and friend , though also feared throughout the jungle for his mesmerising `` hunger dance '' . </Li> <Li> Hathi ( हाथी Hāthī , `` Elephant '' ; Indian elephant ) - The leader of the jungle 's elephants and the individual called `` The True Master of The Jungle '' . </Li> <Li> Tabaqui ( तंबाकूवी Taṃbākūvī ; `` Dish - Licking Dog '' ; golden jackal ) - He feeds on scraps from either Shere Khan or the wolves of the Seeonee Pack . In some adaptations , he is a hyena . Tabaqui is the only friend of Shere Khan as well as Shere Khan 's spy and messenger . He is killed by Grey Brother after the Grey Brother interrogates him into admitting both what Shere Khan plans to do and where and then crushes the jackal 's back in `` Tiger ! Tiger ! '' . </Li> <Li> Shere Khan ( शेर खान شیر خان ( Śēr Khān , `` Tiger King '' ( `` Khan '' is a common title of Indian Muslim lordship and royalty ) ; Bengal tiger ) , - A man - eating Royal Bengal Tiger who is the main villain and the archenemy of Mowgli . He is often known as `` a chief among tigers '' and in multiple adaptations as the one called `` The King of Tigers '' . Despite being born with a withered leg and derisively nicknamed `` Lungri '' ( `` The Lame One '' ) by his own mother , Shere Khan is aggressive , arrogant , self - centered , and sees himself as the rightful lord of the jungle . Tabaqui is his only friend . He has a very serious anger issue . </Li> <Li> Chil ( चील Cīl , `` kite '' ; brahminy kite ) , in earlier editions called Rann ( रण Raṇ , `` battle '' ) - A kite that serves as a messenger . </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Human characters - The following characters are known humans . <Ul> <Li> Messua - The wife of the richest man of the human village , who decides to adopt the wild Mowgli , believing that he is their long - lost son Nathoo . </Li> <Li> Messua 's husband - An unnamed man who is the richest man of the village . </Li> <Li> Nathoo ( नत्थू Natthū ) - The long - lost son of Messua and her husband , who has been snatched by a tiger . </Li> </Ul> </Li> </Ul>
who is mowgli 's main enemy in the jungle book
Shere Khan