Because the animators colored him grey. Simple as that. If there were specific reasons for that color choice they've evidently been lost to history however it's perfectly reasonable to assume they couldn't make him brown because that was King Louie's color & they couldn't make him black because that was Bagheera's color.
The name of the bear (who is a sloth bear) in The Jungle Book is Baloo.
Phil Harris voiced Baloo in Jungle Book. He died in 1995
Baloo
I am pretty sure it was Baloo. The big brown bear.
Baloo the bear from jungle book
Baloo is a pet name derived from the character Baloo the bear in Disney's "The Jungle Book". It conveys qualities such as friendliness, loyalty, and a carefree nature, similar to the character in the movie.
The Jungle Book
Baloo was the name of the big brown bear in the Jungle Book.
In the original story The Jungle Book the illustrations of characters like Baloo the bear were done by John Lockwood Kipling, who was the father of Ruyard Kipling. There have been other artists that have illustrated Baloo, but Lockwood is the original artist.
Baloo. The big brown bear..:)
The Second Jungle Book Mowgli and Baloo - 1997 is rated/received certificates of: Australia:PG France:U Germany:6 Iceland:L Spain:T USA:PG
The main heroes are: Mowgli, Baloo, and Bagheera.