Twelve-year-old Jake Berman has just come to live with his mum and stepfather in Tanzania. He and his friend Shani are delighted to hear that a film company are coming to shoot a movie on a game reserve nearby. They can't wait to meet the film stars, or handle the lion cubs that they're going to use. But as the shooting progresses, Jake realizes that the director is planning to shoot more than just a film - he wants to take home a real-life souvenir. And where have the cubs come from? Jake finds out that there may be more sinister characters involved ...