Jungle Animals from the Jungle Book

"Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities, old mother nature's recipes
That bring the bare necessities of life" - Baloo

This song was one that filled family living rooms, as children sang along to Baloo and Mowgli floating down a river on a makeshift raft. "The Jungle Book" holds a special place among Disney movies, as it was the last feature film overseen by Walt Disney himself.

In the movie "The Jungle Book," we witness a feral child being raised by wolves and eventually returning to civilization after recognizing the dangers of living in the wild.

"Jungle" is not an actual scientific term like "rainforest," "tropical," or "temperate forest." It's a colloquial term used to describe dense forests. For this blog post, we will focus on providing information and vocabulary about animals from the classic movie "The Jungle Book."

Free AI Grammar Checker Better than ChatGPT | Engram

Use Engram’s free AI grammar checker to fix your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and more. Optimized for non-native speakers. Better results than ChatGPT.

Engram

Table of Content

🥥🌴🌳 Origin of the word "jungle"

🥥🌴🌳 Brief background on the Jungle book

🥥🌴🌳 Characters

🥥🌴🌳 Conservation efforts

🥥🌴🌳 How can we stop forest fires?

🥥🌴🌳 Conclusion

Origin of the word "jungle"

It's derived from the Sanskrit word "jāṅgala," meaning dry ground or desert.

Examining the Ngram graph, we can see that "jungle," "rainforest," "tropical forest," and "temperate forest" are all used at different frequencies. "Jungle" is used the most, followed by "rainforest," "tropical forest," and "temperate forest" in that order.

Difference between rainforest, tropical and temperate forest

Tropical Forests:

• Tropical forests refer to forest ecosystems found in tropical regions, typically between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. They have a warm and humid climate year-round.
• Tropical forests encompass various types of forest ecosystems, including:
  • Tropical Rainforests: Characterized by exceptionally high levels of rainfall and lush vegetation. They are a subset of tropical forests.
  • Seasonal Tropical Forests: Experience distinct wet and dry seasons but still maintain a warm climate throughout the year.
  • Tropical Dry Forests: Have pronounced dry seasons with lower levels of rainfall compared to rainforests.

Temperate Forests:

• Temperate forests are found in regions with moderate climates, often away from the equator. They experience four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
• Temperate forests are dominated by deciduous trees that shed their leaves in the fall and remain dormant during the winter months.
• They do not include rainforests. However, there are subsets of temperate forests known as temperate rainforests.

Rainforests:

• Rainforests are a specific type of forest characterized by exceptionally high levels of rainfall and dense vegetation.
  They can occur in both tropical and temperate regions:
  • Tropical Rainforests: Found in tropical regions near the equator. They have a warm and humid climate year-round.
  • Temperate Rainforests: Found in temperate regions with moderate climates. They receive high levels of rainfall but experience distinct seasonal changes.

Brief background on the Jungle book

"The Jungle Book" is a collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling, first published in 1894. It's a classic work of literature that follows the adventures of Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India. The stories have been adapted into various films, television shows, and other media over the years, becoming beloved by audiences of all ages.

The story begins with Mowgli, a young boy, being found and adopted by a family of wolves in the Indian jungle. He grows up among the animals, learning their ways and becoming friends with creatures like Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear. However, Mowgli's presence in the jungle attracts the attention of Shere Khan, a fierce tiger who harbors a grudge against humans.

Throughout the book, Mowgli encounters various challenges and adventures, including encounters with Kaa the python, the Bandar-log (monkey people), and other jungle inhabitants.

The story concludes with Mowgli making a decision about his future: whether to remain in the jungle with his animal friends or return to the world of humans. Ultimately, Mowgli chooses to leave the jungle and join the human village.

Characters

Mowgli is the most famous character in this movie, but he is a human, also known as a feral child. Therefore, we will focus on the other characters:

1. Bagheera
2. Baloo
3. Shere Khan
4. Kaa
5. Akela
6. Raksha
7. Hathi
8. Bandar-log

Are black panthers real?

In the storybook, Bagheera is described as a black panther, but did you know that "black panther" is not a scientific term?

"Black panther" is not a distinct species of a big cat. Instead, it is a term used to describe any large cat with a black coat. The most common black panthers are melanistic leopards and melanistic jaguars.

Melanism is a genetic condition that results in an increased production of dark pigmentation in the skin and fur of animals. For leopards, 11% of the population suffers from this genetic condition.

So, when people refer to a black panther, they are typically referring to either a melanistic leopard (Panthera pardus) found in Africa and Asia, or a melanistic jaguar (Panthera onca) found primarily in Central and South America.

Sloth bear (a.k.a Indian bear)

Baloo the Bear is a sloth bear.

Scientific name: Melursus ursinus

Conservation status on the IUCN list: Vulnerable

A sloth bear is a species of bear native to the Indian subcontinent. It is known for its shaggy black fur and distinctively long, curved claws. Sloth bears are primarily found in forested areas, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.

Collective noun: a sloth of bears

Example sentence: In the dense forests of South Asia, a sloth of bears could be spotted lazily climbing trees or foraging for insects.

Interesting fact: Sloth bear's nostrils can close completely. This is to help them when they raid bee hives and other insect nests.

Tiger

Shere Khan is a Bengal tiger.  

Scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris

Conservation status on the IUCN: Endangered

The Bengal tiger is a subspecies of the tiger. It is part of the megafauna species. Tigers have orange fur which is adorned by black stripes across its body. They are regarded as quite lithe and overpowering.

Collective noun: a streak of tigers

Example sentence: A streak of tigers dashed through the tall grass, latching onto its prey before it ran away.

Interesting fact: Tigers are the largest cats in the world.

Indian python

Kaa is an Indian python.

Scientific name: Python molurus molurus

Conservation status on the IUCN: Near-threatened

Indian pythons are more formally known as Indian rock pythons. It is known for its impressive size, and distinctive patterning. They are an important part of the ecosystem as they keep the rodent and other small mammals under control. India rock pythons are found in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.

Collective noun: a knot of pythons

Example sentence: A knot of pythons lay tangled together in the shade, their sleek bodies forming a tangled mass as they rested in the cool forest.

Interesting fact: The female python lays about 20 -100 eggs three months after breeding.

Indian wolf

Raksha and Akela are Indian wolves.

Scientific name: Canis lupus pallipes

Conservation status on the IUCN: N/A

Indian wolves, a subspecies of the gray wolf, inhabit diverse habitats in the Indian subcontinent. Smaller and adapted to warmer climates, they hunt in packs, preying on small to medium-sized mammals.

Collective noun: a pack of wolves

Example sentence: A pack of wolves howl at one another, when the full moon appears in the sky.

Interesting fact: Grey wolves can go 14 days without food.

Asian elephant

Hathi is an Asian elephant.

Scientific name: Elephas maximus

Conservation status on the IUCN: Endangered

Asian elephants live in India, Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka and Sumtra Borneo. They are known to be smaller than their African counterpart. These social animals form tight-knit family groups led by a matriarch, with strong bonds woven through intricate communication.

Collective noun: a herd of elephants

Example sentence: We watched a herd of elephants at the Kruger National Park.

Interesting fact: Elephants are known to display empathy.

Various species of primates

Bandar-log is described as various species of primates. A brief google search shows that the types of species ranges from lion-tailed macaques, northern pig-tailed macaques, langurs, and Hoolock gibbons that resemble northern white cheeked gibbons.

Collective noun: a troop of monkeys

Example sentence: As we ventured through the dense jungle, we stumbled upon a lively troop of monkeys swinging gracefully from tree to tree.

Conservation efforts

In "The Jungle Book," Mowgli accidentally starts a fire while fighting Shere Khan. He even ties Shere Khan's tail to a branch alight with fire. In the movie, animals collaborate to extinguish the fire. However, in real forest fires, humans must control and extinguish dangerous fires.

Wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire

The National Park Service of America defines two types of forest fires:

A prescribed fire is a planned fire intentionally ignited by park managers to meet management objectives.

A wildfire is an unplanned fire caused by lightning or other natural causes, by accidental (or arson-caused) human ignitions, or by an escaped prescribed fire.

In Science magazine, an analysis of California forest fires revealed that fires caused by humans are deadlier, spreading faster and killing more trees than natural fires.

"Studies have shown human ignition is to blame for 84% of all wildfires in the United States, and 97% of all those that threaten homes."

For example, the 2019-2020 fires that occurred in Australia, also known as the Black Summer, have long been etched in our memories due to the significant number of human casualties and the devastating impact on 300 billion terrestrial animals.

How can we stop forest fires?

The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed ten steps to decrease wildfires, but we have condensed these steps into eight for your easy viewing and application.

1. Check weather and drought conditions.

Dry and windy conditions can make forests more susceptible to fires. Thus, it is important to check the weather before engaging in any fire-related activities.

2. Build your campfire in an open location and far from flammable objects.

The below are safety guidelines to follow when building a campfire:

• Choose a space that does not have any flammable material around it, and make sure the space is flat and open. Flammable materials mean twigs, decaying leaves, and logs.
• Make sure you are building your fire on mineral soil. There should not be any grass, leaves or needles in your fire pit.
• The wood used to the light the fire must be short.
• Keep a constant watch over your fire.
• Ensure that the fire is completely extinguished before leaving the campfire.

3. Douse your campfire until it’s cold.

Your campfire should be cold when you leave it. Just a helpful tip: douse the fire with cold water before leaving the campsite.

4. Keep vehicles off of the dry grass.

The exhaust in your car can reach temperatures of over 1000 degrees, so be sure to be mindful of where you park your car.Thehightemperatureof the exhaust can cause an unknowing fire.

5. Regularly maintain your equipment and vehicle.

Old, mismanaged equipment can shoot sparks that could potentially lead to fires.

6. Practice vehicle safety.

Carry equipment such as a shovel or fire extinguisher in your car to put out any unwanted fires.

7. Check conditions and regulations before you use fireworks or consider safe alternatives.

Fireworks can be fun, but not at the expense of wildfires. Always check the policies and conditions of your environment before considering other alternatives.

8. Cautiously burn debris and never when it’s windy or restricted.

When burning debris, always keep water nearby and make sure that the weather conditions will not lead to further fires.

Conclusion

In the final scene of "The Jungle Book," Mowgli stands at a crossroads, torn between two worlds. With a heavy heart, he bids farewell to his beloved animal friends and ventures into the human village, his future uncertain but filled with hope and the memories of his wild adventures in the jungle. As he disappears into the distance, the jungle echoes with the bittersweet melody of "The Bare Necessities," a reminder of the lessons learned and friendships forged during his extraordinary journey.

References: