Jackie Roads, a British girl living in Kenya with her family, discovers an ill bushbaby and names it Murphy. She nurses the animal back to health, and together with her family and friends, they embark on various adventures that involve wild animals, poachers, and more. When Jackie's father is recalled to England, she must leave her life in Africa behind. Before she can depart, Jackie, Murphy, and Tembo, a friend of her father, undertake one final journey across the dangerous savannah to escape poachers and corrupt police officers. Along the way, Jackie teaches the domesticated Murphy to survive in the wild, so that she can release him into his natural habitat before she leaves.