Starchild

The first Madagascar movie came out in May 2005 (the month is important). Alex the lion is, most likely, a young adult who has either recently fully developed or is about to fully develop, as we can tell from his mane being a light brown with darker roots, which is a color sub-adults and juveniles do not have.

This places Alex roughly in the age range of 4 to 5 years old, and although you could argue he could be 3 years old, his mane is simply too thick, dark, and developed for Alex to be that young.

The towers fell in September 2001, which should mean he would be too young to be kidnapped and found in the New York docks to have seen the towers fell, since he would have to be a young cub, UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT ALEX WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN AT MOST 4 MONTHS OLD WHEN HE WAS TAKEN.

Why 4 months old?

Because that's when a mane starts to develop for Male Lions, and we do not see ANY type of fluffiness or light colors on Alex where a freshly started mane would be!

There's nothing there, and considering that lion cubs tend to be introduced to the pride roughly 6 to 8 weeks after birth, Alex would have to at most be 4 months, potentially even three, which would also explain the lack of any memories of his pride or the wild since, if he was an older age, he would've remembered at least being born in the wild.

Now, there is a scene in Escape 2 Africa that shows Alex was found in 1972, but this quite literally can't be true since we see smartphones and technology that just straight up wasn't invented in the 70s or 80s, which would be the time the movies would took place if he was found in 72.

We also know he wasn't born in October, since that's Marty's birth month, and he would've said something if it was. We *also* know that it isn't a month near October since, again, he would've said something if it was. I admit that this isn't solid evidence though.

However, there is something much, *much* more important to mention that makes it CERTAIN Alex was in New York for 9/11:

Marty is 10 in Madagascar 1.

In Madagascar 2, we see Alex, Marty, Melvin and Gloria are all roughly the same age, and in Madagascar 1 this is pretty much confirmed. That means that Alex *has* to be between 9 to 11 years old since he is a similar age to Marty.

(This also technically makes him close to elderly but that's neither here not there).

If we got the Scientific, Reality-based route, Alex would have to have been a very young cub when the Towers fell if he was in New York, something that, honestly, I can't really prove he was.