In the midst of WWII when food was scarce, the zookeepers of Ueno Zoo are given a devastating order to eliminate the wild animals in their care. Unable to find alternate shelters for the animals, they euthanize most animals except for three elephants whose thick skin protects them from the deadly needles. The elephants struggle to survive, and starve to death at the end. After the war ends, the children across the country plead for another elephant, leading Ueno Zoo to adopt Hanako, a young female elephant from Thailand. With proper training and loving care, Hanako quickly becomes the star of Ueno Zoo. Her life appears to be happy and peaceful until one day she is transferred to another zoo in Inogashira where she is kept in solitude. For animals that live in large groups in nature, this takes an emotional toll on Hanako, causing her to grow hostile to humans. A few years later, when Hanako's former caretaker finds Hanako in disarray, he takes it upon himself to help Hanako recover back to her former self. --

In the midst of WWII when food was scarce, the zookeepers of Ueno Zoo are given a devastating order to eliminate the wild animals in their care. Unable to find alternate shelters for the animals, they euthanize most animals except for three elephants whose thick skin protects them from the deadly needles. The elephants struggle to survive, and starve to death at the end. After the war ends, the children across the country plead for another elephant, leading Ueno Zoo to adopt Hanako, a young female elephant from Thailand. With proper training and loving care, Hanako quickly becomes the star of Ueno Zoo. Her life appears to be happy and peaceful until one day she is transferred to another zoo in Inogashira where she is kept in solitude. For animals that live in large groups in nature, this takes an emotional toll on Hanako, causing her to grow hostile to humans. A few years later, when Hanako's former caretaker finds Hanako in disarray, he takes it upon himself to help Hanako recover back to her former self. -- [ Contract ]