For centuries, monkeys have inhabited the temple at Bandapur, deep in the central region of India. The monkeys have been accorded sacred status by the natives, because of an untrue myth that the animals built the temple at the dawn of civilization. The overseer of the palace, Chowkidar (Alan Hale), says peace and tranquility will prevail throughout the area as long as the monkeys remain on the temple grounds. He is the keeper of the key to the palace gates, charged with regulating the flow of tourists who visit the temple daily. An unscrupulous animal trader named Zaerbo hoodwinks Chowkiddar into a shady deal to steal the monkeys and sell them to zoos around the world.