MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First time photos of “uncontacted” tribe in Amazon jungle

The tribe was photographed as its members pointed bows and arrows at an aeroplane flying overhead. <br>Image: Gleison Miranda, Funai.

One of the world's few un-contacted Amazonian tribes has been photographed from the air with images released on Thursday showing members in striking red body paint holding bows and arrows.

The photographs were taken near the Brazil-Peru border from a series of flights over the remote region. Survival International, a human rights group that campaigns for indigenous groups, conducted the search and believes the photographs are evidence that such indigenous groups still exist. 'We did the overflight to show [the tribe's] houses, to show they are there, to show they exist,' said José Carlos dos Reis Meirelles Júnior in a statement released by Survival International. Meirelles works for FUNAI, Brazil's Indian affairs department. "This is very important because there are some who doubt their existence." Pictures obtained by Survival International's websiteshow men from the tribe covered in bright red paint with bows taking aim while another man in black looks on from the side. Other photos from the expedition show a settlement with thatched roof homes surrounded by dense forest. Around 15 men in red are shown taking aim at the aircraft in which the camera was mounted on. The tribe is increasing in numbers, says Meirelles but notes that un-contacted groups in other regions of the Amazon are in danger of coming to conflict with each other due to illegal logging. Of the world's 100 known un-contacted tribes, over half are in Brazil or Peru and are in danger of being driven off their land, says Survival International. Also a threat to isolated groups is the possibility of contracting introduced illnesses which may become fatal. In 2003, over 65 percent of Columbia's Nukaak Maku tribe died of disease after contact was made by explorers. "The world needs to wake up to this, and ensure that their territory is protected in accordance with international law," says Stephen Corry, director of Survival International. "Otherwise, they will soon be made extinct."