Goldie Hawn did most of her own stunts, after being convinced by Mel Gibson to do so. She was originally reluctant to perform them, fearing the harsh and overwhelming nature of the tasks. She was eventually so pleased with her stunt performances that she kept her stuntman's jacket after filming resumed, and as of 2017 still exhibits it next to her Oscar statuette.
The baboon seen was, according to the film's production notes on the DVD, the only male baboon in the world that was trained to work in front of a camera.
The final negotiating point to convince Mel Gibson to do this film was the offer of a use of a producer's house for the summer, allowing him to shoot the film and give his large family an excellent summer vacation home.
Two watering crews were employed to water all the plants in the rainforest on a full-time basis, right throughout the zoo shoot.
The gigantic zoo set measured 83 feet wide by 350 feet long and was almost six stories high. The DVD production notes state that it was the "largest studio set ever built in Vancouver". It was constructed at the Bridge Studios in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Production designer Philip Harrison said that it was "a once-in-a -ifetime" undertaking.