Leo the white lion was born on an ocean liner that crashed on the shores of a bustling city, where he spent his childhood learning the language and customs of humans. But something was missing. In search of his family, home, and a place to truly belong, Leo traveled back to Africa and began his journey to become the King of the Jungle. Leo's adventure centers around finding peace between the animals and humans who live in his African home, often competing for space and resources. As he grows, Leo must survive both the area's harsh environment, dangers from other animals, and humans who hunt lions like him for sport. Only communication and mutual understanding can end the fighting, and Leo's knowledge of human culture may be just what the jungle needed. Jungle Taitei is the epic story of a young lion's struggles to survive in a dangerous land.

Jungle Taitei was the first full-color anime to air on TV. The series originally aired on Fuji TV, and has since been broadcast under various titles all around the world. The episodes were taken out of order when the anime was brought to the United States, which was reflected in the American VHS versions of the anime. Due to their many similarities, Jungle Taitei is largely believed to have influenced Disney's The Lion King, although Disney denies any relation between the two.