The villager said locals believed the man was asking for fire. Smartphone video of the encounter showed one resident trying unsuccessfully 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 wasn't immediately clear who shot the video.
Funai said in a statement Thursday that a team on site is "providing the necessary care" and 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 Mamoriá Grande, was declared off-limits for non-Indigenous in December 2024. Threats to the group include land-grabbing and potential conflicts with nearby communities, it added.
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.
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