Alex the Lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction of the Central Park Zoo. He and his best friends Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo have lived in captivity throughout their lives, fed regularly by their caretakers and an audience that loves them. Not content with his life, Marty decides to find himself and with the help of some prodigious penguins, escapes to explore the world you're missing. Alex, Melman and Gloria go after him, but before running wild in the streets are captured and taken on board a ship to Africa ... to be finally released. When penguins sabotage the ship, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria themselves washed ashore on the exotic island of Madagascar. Now, these native New Yorkers have to survive in the wild and discover the jungle out there.