Silverback Gorilla Relocated To Virunga National Park After Stealing Crops From Locals (VIDEO)

In this stunning video from the folks at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a daring effort is made to transport the 375-pound silverback gorilla Mukunda back to the wildlife reserve after he strayed over three miles away. Once wandering, Mukunda began destroying the crops of local villagers over the span of two months, threatening their livelihood and endangering his own life as a result.

After locating Mukunda and successfully anesthetizing him, he was driven back to his home in the forest, making the last stretch of steep hills on a bamboo stretcher, a process that took most of the day.

Virunga is the second oldest national park in the world (after Yellowstone), and is home to 200 critically endangered mountain gorillas, of which only 720 total remain. Their daring attempt to relocate Mukunda back to the park shows their commitment to preserving him and his species.

WATCH relocating a silverback gorilla: