pii'sPi's belief in the various religions stemmed from his desire to approach God in every way.
When PiiPi is a teenager, his family decides to sell the animals and immigrate to Canada on a cargo ship. A terrible storm occurs during the voyage. Pii managedPi manages to escape by Lifeboatlifeboat, but the rest of his family died in thedies at sea. In his Lifeboatlifeboat there wasis also a hyena, an orangutan, aan injured zebra, and a tiger callednamed Richard Parker. The hyena ateeats the zebra and the orangutan, and historically wasthen is eaten by Richard Parker. OccasionallyEventually, only PiiPi and Richard Parker survive on the lifeboat.

PiiPi learns to fish, save water and food, and guard against the hungry tiger by training him, feeding him fish, and keeping him as far away as possible. The experiences of his childhood helpedhelp him to cope with what had happenedhappened to him,; the swimming, the familiarity with animals, and his belief that without itfaith he hadhas no hope.

After nearly a year of struggle with the tiger, starvation and thirst, severe weather, sea and desperation, he reachedreaches the shores of Mexico, where he was cared foris saved and cared for.