Matt Cunningham is a thirteen-year-old whiz kid from Los Angeles who's completely absorbed by his laptop computer. Preferring his travels on the information highway, Matt is dismayed to find himself on an East African Safari organized by his divorced mother Beverly.But once exposed to the spectacular plains of Kenya, with its magnificent wildlife and breathtaking terrain, Matt's view of the world expands and the portable computer suddenly lies forgotten on the seat of the Land Rover. While Beverly meets handsome Safari guide, Clive Potter, Matt befriends one of the rangers' sons, a young Kenyan boy his own age, named Jomo. Together Jomo and Matt develop a relationship with a baby orphaned elephant whom they name "Ellie." The young pachyderm is being held by the rangers pending her sale to Harlo Ethridge, an unscrupulous American businessman, who plans to make her the centerpiece of his tourist exhibit back in the States. When Harlo arrives to collect his elephant, Matt and Jomo hide ...