Baloo, based on Kipling's creation, has appeared in various Disney productions, starting with the company's 1967 feature-length animated film adaptation of The Jungle Book.
In this version, Baloo (voiced by Phil Harris) is portrayed as a friendly, even-tempered character who lives a responsibility-free lifestyle, seemingly far removed from the law teacher in Kipling's book.
The film ends with Baloo, Shanti, and Mowgli singing a reprise of "The Bare Necessities" while Ranjan plays with Bagheera.
He was made famous by the song "The Bare Necessities", sung by Phil Harris, in which he tells Mowgli how to live off the land and still have a life of luxury.
Some of his mannerisms survive from The Jungle Book, including his nickname of "Papa Bear", and he also calls his young sidekick, Kit Cloudkicker "Little Britches" much like he did to Mowgli.
In the 1994 Disney live-action film version of The Jungle Book, Baloo, like all the other animals featured, does not speak.
In a later tussle against soldiers working for Captain William Boone, Baloo is shot and left for dead, but Mowgli finds him and locates Dr. Julius Plumford to save his life.
Ed Gilbert voices the character as an adult on three animated segments featured on the VHS releases of the series.
Baloo appears in the 1998 live-action film The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story, voiced by Brian-Doyle Murray.
His role in the film is similar to the 1967 animated version, but like the original novel, he also becomes Mowgli's teacher (alongside Bagheera) in which he teaches him how to hunt in the jungle and defend against Shere Khan.
Disney's 2013 stage adaptation of The Jungle Book, directed by Mary Zimmerman, features Kevin Carolan as Baloo.
Baloo then takes Mowgli back to his cave and tells him to help him gather honey in exchange for saving his life.
Baloo and Bagheera track the monkeys back to their temple and fight them off long enough for Mowgli to hide from Louie.
After Shere Khan is defeated and the fire extinguished, Mowgli is last seen sometime later with Baloo and Bagheera, having at last found his true home in the jungle.
Baloo makes a cameo appearance in the 2022 film Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, where he was voiced by Steven Curtis Chapman.
Henderson in the English dub) is more faithfully depicted as a strict teacher of Mowgli, not above getting physical in his displeasure when the boy is being difficult.
In the episode "The Cold Fang", Akela reveals that Baloo lost his mother and sibling to a pack of Dholes, which became the reason for his serious nature.
He is also depicted in this series as wearing glasses and, like his Disney self, as a tall and obese himalayan brown bear with a bipedal gait.
When Akela orders Mowgli to leave the lair after he used fire to drive off Shere Khan and Tabaqui, Baloo is saddened to see him go.