When his colleague Long Arrow disappears, Dr. Dolittle sets off with his assistant, Tommy Stubbins, his dog, Jip, and Polynesia the parrot on an adventurous voyage over tropical seas to floating Spidermonkey Island.

Now a world-famous lecturer and physician to both people and animals alike, Dr. Dolittle must act to save the forest home of some animal friends, but first he needs to teach a bumbling show biz bear survival techniques so that he may be reintroduced into the forest and meet the bear of his dreams.