World’s largest uncontacted tribe has been spotted in a rare footage but why? - Written by Ishita Pal (Managing News Partner) Bisjhintus News

Mashco Piro, as recognized by the Survival as the largest uncontacted tribe in the world, has recently been spotted within a dangerously close distance to the logging concessions. Rare footage has spotted dozens of people from the Mashco Piro Tribe emerging from their isolated territory - the reason for which is assumed to be the encroaching logging operations. 

The Peruvian Government in 2002, founded the Madre de Dios Territorial Reserve, to ensure protection of the rainforest belonging to the Mashco Piro Tribe but it only covers the area of the Mashco Piro’s Territory. Simultaneously, the government had also given concessions of the land to a logging company for logging of mahogany and other hardwoods. 

More than 50 people of the Mashcro Piro tribe have been spotted leaving the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest in recent weeks in search of food, as reported by the local indigenous organization FENAMAD. FENAMAD has reported that the recent population movement has been an escape attempt from the growing presence of logging companies. 

The FENAMAD president, Alfredo Vargas Pio has also stated,” This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government not only failed to protect but actually sold off to logging companies.” The recent reports of emergence of the Mashcro Piro tribes have been on the banks of a river near the border with Brazil, as concluded from the pictures shared by the Survival International.

Among the concessions, the most prominent logging company which operates in that area is Maderera Canales Tahuamanu SAC, which has constructed more than 120 miles of roads for its logging trucks to transport the timber after logging. This company is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for its deceiving sustainable and ethical operations in the region even though the Peruvian Government has already acknowledged eight years ago that deforestation has increased rapidly in the Mashco Piro territory. 

As stated by Alfredo Vargas Pio, “The logging workers could bring in new diseases which would wipe out the Mashco Piro, and there’s also a risk of violence on either side, so it’s very important that the territorial rights of the Mashco Piro are recognized and protected in law.”

The history of the Mashco Piro tribe is indeed full of tragedy. In 1894, the tribes were slaughtered by the private army of Carlos Fitzcarrald, in the upper Manú River area. After this tragic incident the survivors resorted to the remote forest areas. Though the sightings have increased in the 21st century which is possibly attributed to the rapid hike in the illegal logging around the area and low-flying area causing air and noise pollution. 

“This is a humanitarian disaster in the making – it’s absolutely vital that the loggers are thrown out, and Mashco Piro’s territory is properly protected at last. The FSC must cancel its certification of Canales Tahuamanu immediately – failure to do so will make a mockery of the entire certification system.”- as reported by the Survival International in its recent take on this conflicting matter.