The passing of a man, known as “The Man of the Hole” or the ‘World’s loneliest man’, in Brazil signals the end of an era in isolation. He had avoided contact with other humans for nearly three decades, making him the last known surviving member of an Amazon tribe in Brazil.
Brazil’s National Indian Foundation, FUNAI, confirmed the tribesman’s passing, stating that he lived in voluntary isolation and was the only survivor of his community. His body was found in his hammock inside a hut last Tuesday by officials who had been monitoring the remote Tanaru Indigenous Territory in Rondônia state.
The man, who is believed to have been around 60 years old, earned his nickname “The Man of the Hole” due to his habit of digging large, deep holes to trap animals and hide. However, there were no signs of violence or struggle, and it appears he died of natural causes. Brazil’s Federal Police will perform an autopsy on his body to determine the exact cause of death.
According to the non-profit organization Survival International, the rest of the tribe had been massacred in a series of attacks allegedly perpetrated by land-hungry cattle ranchers, with the last six members being exterminated in 1995. “The Man of the Hole” was last seen in 2018, and evidence at the scene suggested that he survived by planting corn and papaya.
Survival International points out that there are about 240 indigenous tribes in Brazil, with many under threat as illegal miners, loggers, and farmers encroach onto their territory. The passing of “The Man of the Hole” marks the end of an isolated existence that withstood the tragedies of genocide and encroachment.