Fact1: Branch Hawksbill In is visited by father and son frame story, Fact2: bear son that be donated to zoo, Fact3: Branch proceeds to tell Tim about boy, Fact4: Chris him that are moving to city, Fact5: Zoo director Dr. Del Hartwood and head zookeeper Branch convince Chris to donate Sunshine to city zoo
Output: In a frame story, Branch Hawksbill, assistant director of a city zoo, is visited by a father and son who have a bear cub they found during a camping trip. The father tries to convince his son, Tim, that the bear should be donated to the zoo. Tim refuses, equating the zoo to a prison. Branch proceeds to tell Tim about another boy who faced a similar decision: Chris Carlyle lives in the countryside, where he has befriended an adult male mountain lion named Sunshine. Because Chris has treated the cat as a pet since it was a cub, it is very docile and accustomed to eating human foods. When Chris parents inform him that they are moving to the city, Chris worries that Sunshine will not survive alone in the wild. Unbeknownst to his parents, Chris sneaks Sunshine onto the back of the familys truck and brings him to their new home in the suburbs, where the mountain lions presence quickly frightens the neighbors. Zoo director Dr. Del Hartwood, his assistant Isobel Moon, and head zookeeper Branch convince Chris to donate Sunshine to the city zoo. When Chris visits the zoo, he is saddened to see that the animals are confined to cramped cages made of chainlink fencing. After having a nightmare about being locked in a cage himself, Chris resolves to free Sunshine. Seeing that Chris has a bond with the mountain lion, the zoo staff offer him a summer job as a junior zookeeper. Dr. Hartwood complains to members of the citys Parks and Recreation Commission that the zoo is underfunded and its facilities woefully outdated, which has resulted in injuries to some of the animals, but is advised that the politicians are unlikely to help unless pressured by public opinion. A trio of troublemaking boys harass the zoo animals, feeding cigars to a hippopotamus. While the staff are dealing with this, Chris steals Branchs keys and opens all of the cages, setting the animals loose to wander the city. This results in a series of comedic situations including an ostrich swallowing a portable radio, a bear riding a bicycle through the streets, a zebra getting into a familys kitchen, an Asian elephant drinking a mans bathwater, and several primates invading a toy store. Public panic ensues, and the zoo staff scramble to round up the animals before the police start killing them. Councilman Pew blames Dr. Hartwood for the escape and demands his resignation. After a few hours, most of the animals have either returned to the zoo on their own or have been recaptured. The police corner Chris and Sunshine in a warehouse and are ready to shoot the mountain lion, but Dr. Hartwood manages to calm the cat by feeding it whipped cream. To protect Chris and Dr. Hartwood, Branch turns himself in and claims that he released the animals in order to draw public attention to the plight of the zoo. At Branchs trial, Chris confesses, unwilling to let Branch take the blame. Dr. Hartwood passionately defends Chris actions as being motivated by his love of animals, and for having shaken up the publics apathy toward the zoo. The judge dismisses the case and orders Chris to spend two hours each day working at the zoo for the rest of the summer. As Branch concludes the story, he proudly shows Tim the new and improved zoo voted on by the city council. The fence cages have been replaced by modern, roomier, openair exhibits. Chris works there, happily caring for Sunshine in the mountain lions new home. Tim consents to give the bear cub to the zoo, believing that it will be happy there.