Uncontacted Tribes: Mashco-Piro
The Mashco-Piro are nomads of a remote area of the Amazon Rainforest in southeastern Peru, near the Brazilian border.
Their estimated population is close to just 800 at the high end. That number used to be much greater, but in 1894, the rubber-industry kingpin Carlos Fermin Fitzcarrald hired a private army to slaughter them so he could presumably gain access to the rubber trees.
Today, the tribe lives in a community of raised wooden homes within the Amazon’s forested area. There, they make good use of the bamboo trees, using the long reeds to make spears and fermenting fruit in its pods to make alcohol.
They also appear to know more about us than we do them. This is likely due to contact with other settled indigenous people in the area. Some say they’ve been offered Mashco women and babies in return for tools, clothing, and food.
A food shortage could explain this behavior and the increased visibility of the Mashco-Piro as of late; appearing near major waterways around Manu National Park. Their exploration into this area is a cause of concern in terms of the safety of others. This tribe is known to attack and kill if they perceive someone as a threat.
Despite this fact, tourists on sketchy, non-government-regulated safari tours have been photographed with them.
