In the late-1800s, a British couple and their baby son escape a burning ship and become stranded in the jungle on the West African coast. The couple build a treehouse, but are subsequently killed by Sabor, a vicious leopard. Kala, a female gorilla mourning the loss of her own baby who was also taken by Sabor, discovers the treehouse and finds the orphaned human baby, rescuing him from the leopard.
Kala returns to the gorilla tribe and adopts the human baby, naming him Tarzan, even though her mate Kerchak strongly disapproves. As Tarzan grows up, he befriends the jungle's animals, such as Kala and Kerchak's niece Terk and the neurotic elephant Tantor. Finding himself an outcast because he's physically different, Tarzan takes great measures to improve himself, and as an adult, kills Sabor with a spear, and wins Kerchak's reluctant respect.
The gorillas' peaceful lives are interrupted when a group of British explorers-Professor Porter, his daughter Jane and their trophy hunter guide Clayton-arrive in Africa to study the gorillas. When Jane becomes separated from the group, a curious Tarzan rescues her after she is attacked by a tribe of baboons and realizes they are similar. After leading Jane back to the explorers' camp, Porter and Clayton take an interest in him. Despite Kerchak's warnings to avoid the explorers, Tarzan makes repeated visits to their camp, where Porter, Jane and Clayton teach him about human society. Meanwhile, Tarzan is reluctant to lead them to the gorillas for fear of angering Kerchak.
When the explorers' boat arrives to take them back to England, Jane asks Tarzan to come with them. Clayton then tricks the ape man into leading them to the gorillas, convincing him that Jane would stay in Africa with him. Tarzan agrees, and Terk and Tantor distract Kerchak as the explorers mingle with the apes. When Kerchak returns, he attacks the explorers, and Tarzan restrains him, buying the group time to escape. A furious Kerchak then banishes Tarzan from the tribe. Later that evening, Kala takes Tarzan back to the treehouse where she found him as a baby, reveals his true past and that she will support him in whatever decision he makes. Tarzan puts on his father's suit, and makes the decision to go to England.
After boarding the ship to go back to England the next day, Tarzan and the Porters are thrown in the brig by Clayton and his thugs, with the former revealing he plans to sell the gorillas to a zoo. Tarzan and the Porters escape with Tantor and Terk's help, and lead an army of jungle animals against Clayton and his thugs to rescue the gorillas. Clayton guns down Kerchak when the silverback comes to Tarzan's aid, and the apeman and the poacher battle in the treetops, ending with Clayton being strangled to death by vines. In his dying moments, Kerchak accepts Tarzan as his son and names him the tribe's new leader.
The next day, Jane and Professor Porter get ready to return to England, while Tarzan stays in the jungle. With encouragement from her father, and realizing her feelings for Tarzan, Jane jumps ship, with Professor Porter soon after. Reuniting with the ape man and his family, Tarzan and Jane embark on their new life together.
