Fresh footage of an uncontacted indigenous man living alone in the Amazon for the past 22 years has emerged.
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Fresh footage of the sole survivor of an Amazonian uncontacted tribe who's lived alone in Brazil's western Rondônia state for the last 22 years has emerged.
In the video, the man — known as the "indigenous man in the hole" — is seen swinging an axe left and right to fell a tree.
Funai — the government agency charged with the protection of indigenous tribes — has been monitoring him for the last 22 years while maintaining their zero contact policy.
The agency said they've been protecting his territory and furnishing him with tools and food seeds traditionally planted by his tribe. The indigenous reserve of Tanaru, where he lives, was legally set up in 2015.
The indigenous man lives off of corn, potato, yam, banana, and papaya plantations he cultivates in addition to hunting.
Attacks on indigenous tribes by farmers and land grabbers increased in the 1980's as they tried to steal their territories. Funai said that the man's isolated tribe was attacked in 1995 by farmers and he was the only survivor. He was located by the agency a year later and has been monitored ever since.
Funai made some attempts at establishing contact with the man but stopped upon realising that he didn't want anything to do with mainstream society.
"His will to live is impressive," said Altair Algayer, a regional coordinator for the indigenous agency.
“The man has lost everything: his people and his culture. But has proven that even alone in the middle of the jungle it is possible to survive and resist against modern society. I believe he’s much better like this,” said Algayer.
Funai believes there are at least 100 uncontacted tribes living in the Amazon.