Rare uncontacted tribe photographed in Amazon

Thu May 29, 6:21 PM ET

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Amazon Indians from one of the world's last uncontacted tribes have been photographed from the air, with striking images released on Thursday showing them painted bright red and brandishing bows and arrows.


The photographs of the tribe near the border between Brazil and Peru are rare evidence that such groups exist. A Brazilian official involved in the expedition said many of them are in increasing danger from illegal logging.

"What is happening in this region is a monumental crime against the natural world, the tribes, the fauna and is further testimony to the complete irrationality with which we, the 'civilized' ones, treat the world," Jose Carlos Meirelles was quoted as saying in a statement by the Survival International group.

One of the pictures, which can be seen on Survival International's Web site (http://www.survival-international.org), shows two Indian men covered in bright red pigment poised to fire arrows at the aircraft while another Indian looks on.

Another photo shows about 15 Indians near thatched huts, some of them also preparing to fire arrows at the aircraft.

"The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law. Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct," said Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International, which supports tribal people around the world.

Of more than 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide, more than half live in either Brazil or Peru, Survival International says. It says all are in grave danger of being forced off their land, killed and ravaged by new diseases.

(Reporting by Stuart Grudgings; editing by Sandra Maler)

Amazing

That is truly amazing. I wasn't aware the Amazon still kept any of these tribes hidden.

asalam alaikum wr wb,


Good for them. If only say the same concern was shown about the lives of people in occupied muslim territories.


wa alaikum asalam wr wb.

I hate to tell you this but the muslim world has not been cut off from the rest of the world for 1000 years and if it was cut off now it would suffer.

That's truly fascinating! We didn't know about them, and probably they had no clue about us either..? Wow!

Thanks for the news.

The tribe has been discovered and will never been the same again.

Is that good or bad, it will all depend on what do gooders decide to rescue them and bring them into contact with the world. The end result will be a loss of a life style that has worked, if they gain will depend on the intent and methods of the "heros" that decide to save then. sadly history does not seem to show much good having come in the past and only the destruction of a people.

I wonder what they thought the plane was, an evil spirit/angel?

Don't get too excited. There won't be any real intervention. There are other tribes trying to stop the building of a dam - because it would force them out, but do you think these multi-billion dollar corporations and the government are going to care about the plight of those people? They're slogan has always been: Show me the money! and that's what they'll say this time. It's just international blackmail.

The Ninth Scribe

I would think the first thing they need to do is give them some protection from outside diseases. That usually occurs fairly quickly after first contact.

I have to hand it to them, they saw either a plane or helicopter and rather than run, instead they put on war paint and got out their bows and arrows Pretty brave if you ask me.. Might have thought they were going to be eating some kind of monster bird for the next generation or two

As for what will happen to them now, well, sadly they will probably eventually cease to exist, either disease or the destruction of their natural resources..

Imagine bringing them into modern civilization, what a total shell shock something like that would be

Amazing

I wonder what they thing airplanes are..

I recall back in the 1950s a tribe was found, one of the tribal leaders was brought to New York. He was overwhelmed and died very soon after getting to NY. Modern life was fully incompatable for him.

loool, they reacted to the plane, the same as we would react to an ufo ship!

^ ahahahaa loool yeh! hahaha

Thats crazy! subhanallah! so they never ever knew we existed and we never knew they existed! subhanallah!!
We should teach em islam..

They probably just thought they were outsiders/invaders, hence the spears. They were probably trying to defend themselves.

InshaaAllaah, they are shown the truth of Islaam and their lifestyles are not disrupted. People's like these can be made extinct by coming into contact with a mere common cold. Hopefully, someone will not take it upon themself to try to 'help' these people.

I hope that they are just left alone inshaaAllaah.