An explorer who came face to face with an uncontacted tribe has debunked a major misconception about them.
American conservationist and author Paul Rosolie has been working in the Amazon rainforest for over a decade now and witnessed an extraordinary moment, when a group of uncontacted indigenous people came out of the jungle to speak.
Identified as the Nomole who live in Peru's Madre de Dios Region, according to Rosolie's conservation group, Junglekeepers, they are recognised as one of the largest uncontacted groups in the world, which can spark a lot of fear due to the lack of knowledge we have about them.
Rumours have long been spread about uncontacted tribes and the lives they lead, with several people going missing or dying after illegal visits to see them, one of which suggested that these indigenous people are cannibals.
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Speaking about the Nomole people on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Rosolie said: "They primarily eat turtles and monkeys. They don't fish, they don't have fish hooks."
When asked by host Steven Bartlett if they eat humans, the conservationist replied: "They do not eat humans. They are not cannibal tribes.
"There are even a couple of versions of my voice in AI saying that on the internet, but it is not true."
Rosolie also shared more information on his Instagram about exactly why he chose to release the footage, when so much has been done to protect these people over the years, and it's for a very important reason.
You can see the footage here (Warning: It contains nudity).
In the caption, he wrote: "They call themselves the NOMOLE. They’re commonly referred to the Mashco Piro or the uncontacted tribes. And one day when I was in a remote community with the other directors of Junglekeepers, they came out of the jungle and asked us questions.
"The indigenous people and @junglekeepers are working desperately to protect the forest these people depend on. It’s an area of deep jungle that is currently under attack from loggers and gold, miners, and Narcos.
"I chose very carefully to speak about this encounter for the first time with @lexfridman because it is a sensitive and complicated topic. The rights of these people are paramount. This moment cannot be taken lately (sic). Here are a few things that are important to note:
"Me and my team are sharing this footage with the full knowledge that it is risky. But either we show this important footage and get HELP to protect these people, OR their forest will be destroyed.
"We have worked with anthropologists and ethicists to ensure that everything is done legally and by the book, both to protect the tribes you see here, and our ourselves."
Junglekeepers also noted that the 'encounter was Nomole-initiated'.
The organisation said: "No direct contact was attempted by our team: no physical approach, no vocal attempts. We adhered strictly to Peru's no-contact protocols."
Topics: Travel
James Moorhouse