Strange Uncontacted Brazil tribe

Brazil tribe

Members of one of Brazil's uncontacted indigenous tribes have been photographed in a protected area of the Amazon jungle near Peru. All pictures: Brazil National Indian Foundation (Funai)

Funai officials said the aircraft passed over the site a number of times, and photographed "strong and healthy" warriors, women and children, six huts and a large planted area.

The first flight had an obvious impact on the tribe. By the time the plane returned, most of the women and children had fled and those who remained had painted their bodies.

These images are all from a later pass by the plane. The men, painted red, brandished weapons and fired off some arrows at the aircraft. The person in black may be a woman.

The government said the images would prove those who doubted the tribe's existence wrong. The tribe, which has not yet been identified, is one of four different isolated groups in the region.

Funai says it does not make contact with the tribes and prevents invasions of their land, to ensure their total autonomy.

More than half the world's 100 uncontacted tribes live in Brazil or Peru and campaigners say many face threats to their land from illegal logging.(BBC)