he Lion King takes place in the fictional Pride Lands of Africa, where a lion rules over the other animals as king. At the beginning of the film, Rafiki, a wise old mandrill shaman, (commonly mistaken for a baboon ), anoints Simba, the newborn cub of King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi, and presents him to a massive gathering of animals at Pride Rock ("Circle of Life"). Meanwhile, Mufasa's younger brother, Scar (known as Taka in his childhood), realizes that he is no longer the heir to the throne and plots to kill both Simba and his father in order to usurp it.

A few months later, Mufasa brings Simba on a tour of the Pride Lands, teaching him about the Circle of Life, the delicate balance affecting all living things, which the king must maintain. The tour is cut short when Mufasa's advisor, the hornbill Zazu, alerts him of poaching hyenas in the Pride Lands, and Mufasa sends a disappointed Simba home while he deals with the threat. Back at Pride Rock, Scar peaks Simba's curi ...more