In Madagascar, where do Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria live before escaping?

In Madagascar, Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria live at the Central Park Zoo before escaping.

The New York zoo is the animals' home at the beginning of the 2005 film. Marty becomes curious about life beyond the zoo and leaves his enclosure, prompting Alex, Melman, and Gloria to follow him. Their attempted journey eventually leads to their capture and relocation.

The Central Park Zoo is a real zoological park in Manhattan, although the film presents a fictionalized version of its animal habitats and operations. The real zoo is part of the Wildlife Conservation Society and is much smaller than the enormous urban setting implied by some animated scenes.

The story then shifts from New York to Madagascar, where the friends must adapt to a wild environment. The contrast between a managed zoo and an unfamiliar island habitat drives much of the film's comedy and character conflict.