Deep in the Amazon jungle of Rondônia, Brazil, the sole surviving member of an uncontacted tribe has lived for two decades on his own.
In this day and age, it's nearly impossible to imagine a true tribe of one. Now, newly released footage of his hut and its surroundings give the public a glimpse of the mysterious man that has carried on 22 years after the death of his entire tribe.
Lone Survivor Makes It On His Own
According to Survival International, the man has avoided contact with mainstream society. Thus, very little is known about him, including his name. Instead, he's known as the Last of His Tribe.
Experts have pieced together evidence to get an idea of the mysterious man's life now as a tribe of one.
A number of his abandoned campsites reveal that he plants crops such as bananas, corn, papaya, and manioc. He also hunts animals by digging holes that are about 2 meters deep with sharpened staves at the bottom.
The Last of His Tribe lives in small huts of straw and thatch. Another hole is dug inside these homes, which is reportedly a way to protect himself from attackers.
In Yahoo News, Survival International says that the man is in his 50s.
The images and video was released by FUNAI, the protection agency for tribal people in Brazil.
The Last Of His Tribe
Due to his reticence for contact, his and his tribe's story will probably remain a mystery forever. Laws prohibiting contact with tribesman ensure that his desire to live on his own is respected.
Survival International says that his tribe were likely wiped out by colonists and ranchers who have invaded the land since the 1970s. It's believed that his last five companions were killed in 1995.
Signs of his existence were discovered in the 1990s, when his typical huts were found by FUNAI. Over the years, he carried on with his life out of the public eye.
In 2009, gunmen likely eyeing his land unsuccessfully targeted him in an attack, but he has been seen since then unharmed.
Part of the danger surrounding the Last of His Tribe is the constant struggle over the land. His small patch of territory is currently under legal protection, although FUNAI is required to prove he is still alive to maintain the restrictions that protect him.
"Uncontacted tribes aren't primitive relics of a remote past," Stephen Corry, the director of Survival International, says. "They live in the here and now. They are our contemporaries and a vital part of humankind's diversity, but face catastrophe unless their land is protected."
He adds that the many uncontacted tribes face the threats of the crimes committed against the man and his tribe.