In an era where it seems like everyone is connected, it makes it all the rare to see someone completely cut off from the rest of the world. This is one of the world's most isolated tribes. In fact, we know little about it due to the tribe being openly hostile to outsiders. They'll fire arrows when outsiders get too close to them.
However, new footage has given us our best look at the tribe. They emerged from the rainforest in Peru near several logging sites. They're called the Mashco Piro tribe. Experts believe they're the largest group of Indigenous people with no outside contact to the world. Recently, a drone spotted them near the Las Piedras River, just a few miles from logging sites, according to the Indigenous rights advocacy group Survival International.
"This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect but actually sold off to logging companies," Alfredo Vargas Pio, president of the local Indigenous organization Fenamad, said in a press release. Recently, the Mashco Piro appeared on the hunt for food. Advocates fear that they will soon clash with loggers in the area.
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Disease plays a larger factor. The tribe has little to no contact with the outside world. There's a real risk that loggers could introduce new diseases that could wipe out the entire tribe. With the emergence of the Mashco Piro, advocates are trying to get the logging company's rights revoked. The company is clearing forest to build roads in the area. They've had permission to log in the area since 2002 with operations spanning 193 miles.
Tribe Threatened By Logging Company
It wouldn't be the first time that the company has clashed with locals. Likewise, the Mashco Piro can be violent. Their limited interaction with others has all been aggressive. They've fired arrows at tour boats, fired arrows at park rangers, and killed a member of another tribe. However, recently, some members have emerged to try to barter with local villages for supplies and food.
In the past, the logging company reported that it had never seen any members of the Mashco Piro. Likewise, it has insisted that it has complied with laws in Peru. It hasn't tried to contact the tribe.
