After multimillionaire Rod McCain (Kevin Kline) buys a London zoo, the staff is pressured to make higher profits or face closure. McCain assigns the lovely Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) to supervise the zoo, particularly its misguided director, Rollo Lee (John Cleese). In an effort to increase attendance, Lee decides that only aggressive animals should be displayed, horrifying insect specialist Adrian "Bugsy" Malone (Michael Palin). Amid the caged wildlife, romance and even murder ensue.