The Wild

As night falls on the Central Park Zoo, the charismatic Samson, a majestic lion, regales his preteen son Ryan with tales of his thrilling escapades in the untamed Wilds of Africa. Ryan, captivated by his father's stories, yearns to follow in his footsteps and learn the art of roaring like the mighty Samson. However, the proud patriarch is adamant that the idea is nothing short of reckless.

When the zoo's gates close, the animals are free to roam, and Samson and his motley crew - Benny the quick-witted squirrel, Bridget the statuesque giraffe who has captured Benny's heart, Larry the lovable but hapless anaconda, and Nigel the charming yet accident-prone koala - engage in a heated turtle curling competition. Meanwhile, Ryan and his friends inadvertently trigger a stampede that threatens to engulf the entire menagerie.

Tensions between Samson and Ryan come to a head, leading to a bitter falling-out. In a fit of teenage angst, Ryan flees before Samson can offer an olive branch. Under the cover of night, Ryan sneaks into a supposedly bound-for-the-wilds intermodal container, only to find himself locked inside as it's loaded onto a freight truck and whisked away.

With the help of a resourceful pigeon named Hamir, Samson and his friends embark on a perilous rescue mission. They infiltrate a garbage disposal truck, but Benny takes an unfortunate tumble into the abyss. The group then navigates Times Square, narrowly avoiding disaster as they're swallowed up by a garbage truck. As they near the docks, they encounter a pack of snarling dogs, prompting Samson to abandon his post and make a break for the sewer system.

In this subterranean labyrinth, they seek guidance from two streetwise alligator brothers, Stan and Carmine, who provide them with directions to the docks. The next morning, the group commandeers a tugboat in a chaotic bid for freedom, eventually reuniting with Benny, who has been following their trail with a flock of geese. As Samson takes the helm, Larry lends his expertise, and the geese lead them towards Ryan's ship, setting the stage for a daring rescue mission.

As the boat lay stranded in African waters, the animals of the surrounding landmass were being hastily evacuated by carriers due to the impending eruption of a nearby volcano. It was against this backdrop that Samson's son, Ryan, ventured into the dense jungle, prompting Samson's frantic search, which ultimately proved fruitless. As his companions returned to the ship, Samson remained behind, driven by an unyielding determination to find his offspring. Meanwhile, his own instincts began to stir, as he perceived subtle changes in the environment around him - a phenomenon he attributed to his inner guidance.

In a bizarre turn of events, Nigel, one of the group's members, was suddenly snatched up by a herd of wildebeest who resided at the foot of the volcano. Their leader, Kazar, proclaimed Nigel "The Great Him," citing an ancient omen that had spared his life from a pack of lions many years prior. According to Kazar, this divine intervention had imbued Nigel with the power to bring about a transformative shift in the food chain, allowing prey and predator to swap roles. To achieve this revolutionary change, Kazar believed it essential for the wildebeest to consume a lion, thereby disrupting the natural order.

As Samson continued his desperate search for Ryan, he stumbled upon a trio of captives - Bridget and Larry, who were being held by the wildebeest in anticipation of their consumption. Unbeknownst to Samson, his own son had been hiding in an ancient tree, only to be attacked by a gang of vultures under Kazar's orders. Ryan's cries for help eventually reached Samson's ears, prompting him to rush to his son's aid and scare off the scavenging birds.

Reunited with his offspring, Samson revealed to Ryan the truth about his own tumultuous past - one marked by a circus birth and an inability to roar, much like his son. This revelation was met with shock as the wildebeest descended upon them, prompting Samson to urge Ryan to flee. As they retreated to a nearby tree, Samson's words were interrupted by the wildebeest, who then uprooted the tree, sending it tumbling down the cliffside. With Samson still clinging to its branches, Ryan was captured and spirited away to the volcano, leaving his father to confront the darkness ahead.

As Benny's mentorship imbues Samson with an unwavering sense of self-acceptance, the unlikely duo discovers that Samson's supposed "instincts" were actually the masterful manipulation of two cunning chameleons, Cloak and Camo. These reptilian maestros had been cleverly guiding Samson towards the volcano, driven by a singular purpose: to enlist his aid in defeating Kazar's formidable army. With the chameleons' remarkable camouflage abilities, Samson is able to infiltrate the volcano undetected, but when his disguise is compromised by the intense heat of the mountain, Kazar's troops launch a surprise attack. Seizing the opportunity, Ryan springs into action, using a catapulting device to launch himself at Kazar with a mighty roar. The diversion proves pivotal, as Kazar's attention is diverted and Samson seizes the chance to overpower him. In a touching display of paternal affection, Ryan reveals his happiness in having Samson as a father figure, an admission that resonates deeply with the other wildebeest. Emboldened by their newfound sense of freedom, they reject Kazar's tyranny and refuse to serve him further. With Kazar momentarily stunned, Samson unleashes a thunderous roar, powerful enough to repel the charging Kazar and send him tumbling into the erupting volcano. As the dust settles, the group and the wildebeest make their escape, fleeing the chaos in their New York home, the Central Park Zoo, where they regroup and settle back into their familiar routine on the boat.