Incredible images of forgotten Amazon rainforest tribe who discourage outsiders with foot spikes
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A series of incredible images are the very first sighting of a reclusive Amazon rainforest tribe that has remained hidden from the rest of the world. The images - captured by automatic cameras in Brazil's rainforest - show a group of men, some of them wearing loincloths and carrying sharpened sticks, are seen picking up machetes and other weapons left at the site by agents from Funai - Brazil's indigenous peoples' agency.
The number of men reportedly proves that the tribe - named Massaco after the river that runs through their territory - is thriving. It's still unknown what they call themselves, as are details about their belief system and language. It's thought that their population has doubled since the early 1990s, now standing at between 200 and 250 people. This is despite environmental pressure from loggers, miners and drug traffickers, according to the Brazilian National Indigenous Peoples Foundation (Funai).
What Funai has gathered so far is that the Massaco uses 10ft-long bows and move their entire village between seasons. To discourage visits from outsiders, they lay thousands of piercing spikes on the ground that can pierce feet or vehicle tyres. “Now, with the detailed photographs, it’s possible to see the resemblance to the Sirionó people, who live on the opposite bank of the Guaporé River, in Bolivia,” Funai government agent Altair Algayer, who has spent 30 years protecting their territory, told The Guardian. “But still, we can’t say who they are. There’s a lot that’s still a mystery.”.
