Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, Gloria the hippo, and the penguins find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar in a difficult situation. In an effort to leave this uninhabited island, the penguins begin repairing a broken-down crashed plane, preparing to pilot it to carry all the animals off the island. However, due to poor repair and inadequate navigation skills, the plane crashes onto the African savanna.
On this vast grassland that sustains many animals, Alex the lion reunites with his parents. But because of numerous changes in their habits, along with differing actions and words, they seem incompatible. This former star of New York's Central Park, who knew how to put on a show, perform, and win the applause of the audience—the "Lion King"—has no idea how to survive on the expansive African plains. Meanwhile, Marty the zebra, who once wanted to return to nature, finds no imagined happiness in real freedom, as he has unknowingly become accustomed to the park’s environment. Gloria the hippo grows more mature, gradually understanding that relationships with friends require careful nurturing. Melman the giraffe not only realizes he could belong to an excellent breed of giraffes but also clearly sees his true feelings for Gloria the hippo.
The harsh conditions of the wild make these animals, once "spoiled" and "pampered" in the park, increasingly nostalgic for past ease and comfort. Although they meet their own kind here, significant differences in habits prevent them from truly integrating into their species' groups. Facing adversity, the friendship of these four former "fellow sufferers" is also tested. All these discomforts make them start missing the Central Park in New York, from which they worked so hard to escape...