Animal friends Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo and Melman the Giraffe join a travelling circus in Europe as part of a scheme to return to their home in New York City.

However, after a botched rescue attempt by Marty's companions--Alex, the content lion; Melman, the skittish giraffe, and Gloria, the resolute hippo--the friends will find themselves crated up and ...