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After Englishman Harry Holt joins up with newly arrived Martin Arlington at an African river village, the two men discuss their upcoming safari and Harry's concern about Jane Parker, a former sweetheart who now lives in the jungle with her ape-nurtured husband Tarzan.  As per the instructions of the heartsick Harry, who hopes to lure Jane away from Tarzan, Martin has brought with him the latest fashions from Paris.

With a small band of tribesmen, led by the loyal Saidi, Harry and Martin begin their journey into the jungle to find not only Jane, but ivory-rich elephant burial grounds as well.  Soon the white men are ambushed by hostile tribesmen, who scare off some of the safari laborers and drive the rest from their sacred ground.  After a vicious attack by gorillas on a mountain cliff, Harry and Martin finally meet up with Tarzan and Jane.  Although Jane appreciates Harry's elegant clothes, she tells him that she will never leave Tarzan or the jungle.

The next morning, after Tarzan kills a lion that threatens Jane, Martin and Harry resume their trek, aided by an elephant that Tarzan has called for them.  Soon after, while Tarzan and Jane play in the jungle, a rhinoceros attacks Jane and kills Cheeta, Tarzan's faithful chimpanzee.  Tarzan rescues Jane and kills the rhinoceros with his knife, then is called on to fight a leopard and a crocodile, which also succumb to his superior strength.

That night, Tarzan learns that Martin and Harry are going to rob the elephant burial grounds of their ivory, and he refuses to act as their guide.  Consequently, Martin, who is aware that elephants instinctively seek the grounds when they are dying, shoots Tarzan's elephant.  Although intimidated by Tarzan, Martin and Harry follow the fatally wounded elephant to its ancient burial grounds.

Soon after they arrive at the site, however, Tarzan, Jane and a troupe of elephants charge the place and prevent them from leaving with any ivory.  To trick Tarzan, Martin promises him that the safari will abandon the ivory and return to camp the next morning.  Martin, who also desires Jane, then shoots Tarzan as he is gathering breakfast and leaves him to be devoured by a river crocodile.  Tarzan, however, is rescued by a hippopotamus and a gorilla, who carries him into the jungle, where he is nursed by Cheeta's daughter, Little Cheeta, and her chimpanzee group.

Jane, meanwhile, learns from Martin that Tarzan is dead and sadly prepares to leave with the ivory-laden safari.  As they are departing, however, Little Cheeta finds Jane and communicates to her that Tarzan is alive.  Before she can follow Little Cheeta, angry tribesmen attack and surround the safari.  During a prolonged battle with the tribesmen and a giant pride of hungry lions, in which both Harry and Martin are killed, Tarzan finally locates Jane and rescues her from certain death.