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A young man from an isolated indigenous tribe has approached a populated river community in the Amazon, Brazil’s indigenous affairs agency has confirmed.
The encounter occurred at around 7pm on Wednesday in Bela Rosa, a community along the Purus River in the southwestern Amazon region.
Barefoot and wearing a small loincloth, the young man appeared calm and in good health as he waved two wooden sticks, a villager told The Associated Press.
The villager spoke on condition of anonymity, saying Brazil’s indigenous bureau Funai had advised locals not to discuss the incident.
The villager said locals believed the man was asking for fire.
Mobile phone footage of the rare encounter showed one resident trying and failing to show the man how to use a lighter.
Funai officials arrived soon after, and after the man was served fish, he was taken to a nearby facility operated by the group.
It was not immediately clear who shot the video.
Funai said in a statement on Thursday that a team on site is “providing the necessary care” and is awaiting the arrival of a medical team.
A member of the nearby Juma tribe – whose original population has dwindled to just three women – was expected to arrive at the base on Friday to try to communicate with him.
In 2021, Funai confirmed the existence of an isolated Indigenous group in the area after finding abandoned camps and other evidence, but none of their members had been seen until Wednesday.
The area, known as Mamoria Grande, was declared off-limits for non-Indigenous in December 2024.
It added that threats to the group include land-grabbing and potential conflicts with nearby communities.
The Amazon rainforest is home to the world’s largest number of uncontacted tribes.
As a policy, Brazil does not actively seek contact with them but instead creates protected and monitored areas.
