<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Information </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Species </Th> <Td> African lion </Td> </Tr> <P> Alex (born Alakay) is a male African lion . Alex is headstrong, protective and self - proclaimed leader of his friends . He is best friends with Marty the zebra (Chris Rock). He is used to the life of comfort in the zoo, but learns to adapt to the wild . He's smart, quick thinking and fast on his feet . He is a dancer by nature, often impressing others with his aerobatic feats . He does tend to be a little self - absorbed, often not seeing the problems of others above his own . </P> <P> Alex enjoys his life at the zoo and has plenty of friends and is surprised when hearing Marty's wish to leave and live in the wild (or run free in Connecticut as stated in the movie). As a cub, Alex was born on an African wildlife reserve and named Alakay . He has brown and yellow fur, whiskers, a black nose, a big mane, and a long tufted tail . He was the son of the alpha lion, Zuba (Bernie Mac), and was constantly given lessons on hunting, though he displayed no interest in the activity . During one of the sessions, Alex was captured by poachers, but the crate he was contained in fell into a river and eventually floated to New York . He is found by humans who renamed him Alex and took to the Central Park Zoo . In Madagascar, after Marty, Alex's best friend, leaves in an effort to take a train to the wild, Alex, Gloria the hippopotamus (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) pursue him and are shot with tranquilizer darts by humans . The animal - rights activists pressure the zoo into releasing them back into the wild, but on the ship to the preserve, Alex and his friends fall into the ocean . They wash ashore on Madagascar, and, while Marty is excited to be free, Alex wishes to go home . He grows very hungry after days of being unable to eat, not realizing that steak is animal flesh . Hunger drives Alex into a crazed state, and after almost killing Marty in hunger (by biting him on the butt when he thought it was a piece of steak), in a moment of lucidity, he goes into self - imposed exile, barricading himself in the fossa territory of the island . Marty pursues him, unwilling to leave his friend, but is attacked by the fossa, the native predators of Madagascar . Alex works to defend Marty, and is later given sushi by the penguins to satiate his hunger . </P>

What is the name of the lion in madagascar