Hippo is not happy at his rundown zoo, so he and his best friend, Red Panda, decide to leave and get real jobs, to make Hippo a "Hippopotamister," to make themselves respectable. They try any number of jobs--from hair-stylist to astronaut--but nothing makes Hippo happy. Then, Hippo returns to the zoo and uses all the skills he learned in the real world to help his fellow animal friends.