Ten-year-old Lucy loves cats. She understands them, and they her. When the circus arrives in town, she tickles a lion and cuddles a chimpanzee. This left her wanting to know more about animal behaviour. In her Saturday morning job at a veterinary clinic, she meets a variety of animals. The vet is astounded when he discovers Lucy s ability to calm animals and communicate with them, something very rare. Lucy and her mother have the opportunity to visit London, where her uncle is a vet at the London Zoo. As Lucy tours the zoo, she learns details about the zoo s inhabitants, including a Silverback Gorilla and a spitting chimp. Then, a catastrophic event occurs.