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Tomas Anez Dos Santos worked in a tiny open space far in the Peruvian jungle when he detected sounds drawing near through the lush jungle.

He became aware that he stood encircled, and halted.

“One was standing, directing using an projectile,” he states. “And somehow he became aware I was here and I commenced to run.”

He had come face to face members of the Mashco Piro. For a long time, Tomas—who lives in the tiny settlement of Nueva Oceania—was virtually a neighbor to these nomadic people, who reject engagement with strangers.

A recent report issued by a rights group states exist at least 196 termed “uncontacted groups” left worldwide. The group is considered to be the largest. The study claims half of these communities could be decimated in the next decade unless authorities neglect to implement additional actions to defend them.

It claims the biggest dangers stem from timber harvesting, extraction or operations for oil. Remote communities are extremely susceptible to ordinary illness—therefore, it says a danger is posed by contact with religious missionaries and social media influencers in pursuit of clicks.

In recent times, members of the tribe have been venturing to Nueva Oceania more and more, based on accounts from inhabitants.

Nueva Oceania is a fishing community of a handful of households, sitting high on the banks of the Tauhamanu River in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, half a day from the most accessible village by boat.

The area is not recognised as a safeguarded area for uncontacted groups, and logging companies function here.

According to Tomas that, sometimes, the noise of heavy equipment can be noticed day and night, and the community are witnessing their woodland damaged and ruined.

Among the locals, residents say they are torn. They are afraid of the tribal weapons but they hold profound regard for their “relatives” residing in the woodland and want to defend them.

“Allow them to live in their own way, we can't modify their culture. This is why we keep our distance,” says Tomas.

Residents in Nueva Oceania are anxious about the destruction to the Mascho Piro's livelihood, the threat of conflict and the likelihood that deforestation crews might subject the Mashco Piro to illnesses they have no immunity to.

At the time in the village, the tribe made themselves known again. A young mother, a young mother with a young girl, was in the jungle collecting food when she noticed them.

“We detected shouting, sounds from individuals, numerous of them. Like there were a crowd calling out,” she informed us.

That was the initial occasion she had come across the tribe and she ran. An hour later, her mind was still throbbing from anxiety.

“As there are timber workers and companies clearing the jungle they're running away, perhaps out of fear and they arrive in proximity to us,” she said. “It is unclear what their response may be with us. This is what terrifies me.”

Recently, a pair of timber workers were assaulted by the group while catching fish. One was hit by an arrow to the stomach. He recovered, but the second individual was found dead subsequently with multiple arrow wounds in his frame.

The Peruvian government follows a approach of non-contact with secluded communities, rendering it prohibited to commence interactions with them.

This approach was first adopted in a nearby nation following many years of campaigning by tribal advocacy organizations, who observed that initial contact with secluded communities resulted to entire groups being decimated by sickness, poverty and hunger.

In the 1980s, when the Nahau people in the country came into contact with the broader society, a significant portion of their people perished within a few years. A decade later, the Muruhanua community faced the same fate.

“Secluded communities are extremely vulnerable—in terms of health, any exposure may spread illnesses, and even the simplest ones might decimate them,” explains Issrail Aquisse from a local advocacy organization. “From a societal perspective, any exposure or intrusion may be highly damaging to their existence and well-being as a society.”

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