The Mascho Piro tribe filmed on the banks of a river in remote Peru (Picture: Michael Mccarthymet)
Members of an ‘uncontacted’ indigenous Amazonian tribe fired arrows at loggers on land considered theirs.
The clash happened at an illegal logging camp in the Madre de Dios region of remote south west Peru, according Survival International, an NGO that supports indigenous groups.
At least one person was left injured and there are unconfirmed reports two loggers may have been killed in the attack on July 27, reports the Guardian.
The tribe, known as Mascho Piro, were filmed just weeks before gathered on the banks of the Pariamanú River, seeking food from another indigenous group.
It’s one of a number of recent and previously rare sightings and clashes.
Campaigners say it shows the tribe is feeling the effects of logging activity, both legal and illegal, on their rainforest home.
The camp where the fight happened is just outside an area that is formally protected by the government, but on land that is acknowledged as Mashco Piro territory, said Teresa Mayo, Peru researcher for Survival International.
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Indigenous organisations have pushed for the protected area to be expanded to reflect the true extent of the Mascho Piro territory, but are up against strong opposition from the logging industry who have timber concessions in the area.
The rainforest is home to prized tropical hardwoods such as mahogany and shihuahuaco.
Satellite images show thousands of kilometres of logging roads have been built between 2020 and 2023, the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project reports.
As well as destroying their land, there are fears loggers could infect the tribe with diseases their immune systems are not able to cope with, such as the common cold.
The Mashco Piro people are considered the world’s largest group of voluntary isolated individuals, with reportedly around 750 members.
They rarely communicate with others and if they do it’s with other indigenous groups.
The video, which was released by Survival International last month, shows around 50 men and boys standing by the river with bare feat and wearing loincloths.
Survival International director Caroline Pearce said at the time: ‘These incredible images show that a large number of isolated Mashco Piro live alone a few miles from where the loggers are about to start their operations.’
In August 2022, two loggers fishing in Maschco Piro territory attacked by the tribe, who shot arrows at them. One died, while the other was injured.
Other conflicts have also been reported.
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