Tabaqui is a jackal, who was to be a minor antagonist in an early draft of the 1967 film The Jungle Book; he was cut from the film, although he did appear as the secondary antagonist of the 1998 film The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story.
While he also doesn't appear in the 1994 live-action adaptation, his name is given to one of the minor antagonist's men.
Tabaqui was originally going to make his appearance in The Jungle Book 2, after Mowgli meets up with Baloo near the beginning of the film. Tabaqui attempted to eat Mowgli, but faces many accidents and injuries as he pursues them. Mowgli and Baloo remain unaware of Tabaqui's presence, and the two walk away. Unfortunately, he was deleted from the final film and his role was given to Kaa instead.
Trivia[]
Like several Jungle Book characters (e.g. Colonel Hathi, Baloo, etc.), Tabaqui was intended to be altered into a comic relief character and voiced by actor Bill Thompson.
In some movie adaptations of the original Jungle Book, Tabaqui is a striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), instead of a golden jackal (Canis aureus).
A possible reason why Tabaqui was deleted from The Jungle Book because the idea of a wild wolf failing to eat a protagonist was already used in a previous Disney film, The Sword in the Stone (ironically, in Japanese animated series Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli seen in Episode 4 Tabaqui tries eat to Mowgli). This idea of a villain failing to eat a protagonist is retained, but with Kaa in the role.
He was supposed to be a parody of Wile E. Coyote (ironically, as a side note, when Chuck Jones did Mowgli's Brothers, Tabaqui looked very much like Wile E. Coyote).
Tabaqui being represented as a spotted hyena is a mistake because the spotted hyenas live in Africa and not in India where The Jungle Book takes place.
Shows:Jungle Cubs Video Games:The Jungle Book • The Jungle Book Groove Party • The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Wild Adventure • The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Run • Disney Classic Games Collection Books:The Strength of the Wolf is the Pack • More Jungle Book... Further Adventures of Baloo and Mowgli
Deleted characters:Tabaqui Sequel:Ranjan • Ranjan's Father • Messua • Shanti's Mother • Lucky • Wargs Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book:Grey Brother • Nathoo • Kitty Brydon • Colonel Geoffrey Brydon • Sergeant Claibourne • Dr. Julius Plumford • William Boone • Sergeant Harley • Buldeo • Tabaqui • Lt. John Wilkins • Indian Bandits • Alice, Rose, and Margaret Jungle Cubs:Arthur and Cecil • The Croc • Mahra • Benny and Clyde • Ned, Jed & Fred • Mungo • Leah • Cain • Dholes • Winifred's Uncle • McCoy • Dictator Turtle • Whitehood House of Mouse:King Larry
Locations
Jungle • Ancient Ruins • Man Village • India • Asia
Episodes
Season One: "A Night in the Wasteland" • "How the Panther Lost His Roar/The Humans Must Be Crazy" • "Hathi Meets His Match/Buffaloed" • "Mondo Mungo/Bare Necessities" • "Who Wants to Be a Baboon?" • "Red Dogs" • "The Great Kaadini" • "Hulla Baloo/Shere Bliss" • "Treasure of the Middle Jungle" • "Feather Brains/Benny & Clyde" • "Splendor in the Mud" • "Trouble in the Jungle/Fool Me Once..." • "The Coming of the Wolves"
Season Two: "The Ape Who Would Be King" • "Trunks for the Memories/Kasaba Ball" • "Hathi's Makeover/Curse of the Magnificent Melon" • "The Five Bananas/Birthday Snake" • "Old Green Teeth/The Elephant Who Couldn't Say No" • "Hair Ball/A Tale of Two Tails" • "Waiting for Baloo/Tree for Two" • "Nice Tiger/Sleepless in the Jungle"
More Jungle Book: "Baloo's Blues" • "Jungle Fever" • "If You Wanna See Some Strange Behavior (Take a Look at Man)" • "It's a Kick" Jungle Cubs: "Take Your Sweet, Sweet Time" • "Jungle Cub Love" • "Everything's Gonna Be Right with the World" The Jungle Book Groove Party: "The Jungle's No Place for a Boy" • "Join the Ranks" • "Go Bananas in the Coconut Tree" • "A Mood for Food" • "We Are the Vultures" • "Run" • "A Brand New Day" Sequel: "The Jungle Rhythm" • "W-I-L-D" • "Right Where I Belong" Deleted: "Brothers All" • "The Song of the Seeonee" • "Monkey See, Monkey Do" • "I Knew I Belonged to Her" • "In A Day's Work" • "The Mighty Hunters" • "I've Got You Beat" • "Braver"
