Akela (The Jungle Book) Mowgli has been rejected by humanity and the pack is threatened with extinction by a rampaging pack of dholes, Akela joins the battle and fights to the death, finally dying in Mowgli's company ("Red Dog", in "The Second Jungle Book"). Akela did this for the love of Mowgli and his death is a major factor in Mowgli's decision to finally return to human society at the age of 17. Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of scouting, based aspects of Cub Scouting on Rudyard Kipling's Mowgli Stories. In Cub Scouting, the terms "Law of the Pack," "Akela" (the leader of a group),
The Jungle Book the stories, reflecting the irresponsible side of human nature. "The Jungle Book" has remained popular, partly through its many adaptations for film and other media. Critics such as Swati Singh have noted that even critics wary of Kipling for his supposed imperialism have admired the power of his storytelling. The book has been influential in the scout movement, whose founder, Robert Baden-Powell, was a friend of Kipling's. Percy Grainger composed his "Jungle Book Cycle" around quotations from the book. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–94. The original publications contain illustrations, some by the author's father, John Lockwood