▁the ▁mind ▁of ▁anth rop ologist ▁Eth an ▁Pow ell ▁( H op kins ) ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁missing ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁years , ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁j ung le ▁of ▁U g anda ' s ▁B w indi ▁Imp en et rable ▁Forest ▁with ▁mountain ▁g or illas . ▁He ▁is ▁conv icted ▁of ▁killing ▁and ▁inj uring ▁several ▁supposed ▁W ilder ness ▁Park ▁R angers ▁in ▁East ▁Africa , ▁and ▁is ▁sent ▁to ▁prison . ▁A ▁bright ▁young ▁psych iat rist , ▁The o ▁Ca ul der ▁( Good ing ), ▁tries ▁to ▁find ▁out ▁why ▁he ▁killed ▁them , ▁but ▁becomes ▁ent ang led ▁in ▁a ▁quest ▁to ▁learn ▁the ▁true ▁history ▁and ▁nature ▁of ▁hum ank ind , ▁stating ▁that ▁civil ization ▁has ▁stead ily ▁destroyed ▁the ▁natural ▁world , ▁advoc ating ▁that ▁humans ▁abandon ▁this . ▁Event ually ▁it ▁is ▁revealed ▁that ▁during ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁Pow ell ' s ▁stay ▁with ▁the ▁g or illas , ▁they ▁accepted ▁him ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁group ; ▁he ▁was ▁attempting ▁to ▁protect ▁his ▁great ▁a pe ▁family ▁when ▁the ▁po ach ers ▁arrived ▁and ▁started ▁shooting ▁them . ▁He ▁gets ▁a ▁hearing ▁to ▁reve al ▁the ▁truth , ▁but ▁an ▁attack ▁by ▁a ▁v icious ▁guard ▁on ▁another ▁prisoner ▁causes ▁Pow ell ▁to ▁be ▁rem ind ed ▁of ▁the ▁killed ▁g or illas , ▁at ▁which ▁point ▁he ▁viol ently ▁attacks ▁the ▁guard ▁to ▁stop ▁him , ▁is ▁rest rained ▁and ▁stops ▁talking ▁again . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of