Isolated tribe photographed in Amazon jungle

A little-known isolated Indian tribe has been sighted deep in Peru’s Amazon jungle.

Ecologists photographed the group at the Alto Purus national park near the Brazilian border as they were looking for illegal loggers.

Flying over the jungle, the forest ecologists saw about 21 Indians, mostly children, women and young people, living in palm-leaf huts on the banks of the Las Piedrasperu river. Some were carrying bows and arrows.

The indigenous group is thought to be part of the ancient Mascho Piro tribe.

The sighting could intensify debate about the presence of as foreign oil companies, who have been invited by the government to look for oil in the rainforest.

Many indigenous people have shunned contact with the rest of society to live on the Amazon rainforest land which has been set aside for petroleum prospecting.

Environmental and Indian rights groups firmly oppose the exploration in the remote jungle area about 900 kilometres east of the capital, Lima.

Ecologists have photographed a little-known nomadic tribe deep in Peru’s Amazon, a sighting that could intensify debate about the presence of isolated Indians as oil firms line up to explore the jungle.