North Sentinel Island is located in the Bay of Bengal near Thailand. It is a sunny, tropical place that is almost entirely covered in dense forestation.
via Associated Press | Huffington Post
The only problem? It's inhabitants do NOT want visitors. The Sentinelese people are the last isolated tribe on the planet and they would very much like to keep it that way.
via Panaramio
There are thought to be somewhere around 300 residents on the island, untouched by modern civilization or tools, though no one can say for sure. It is illegal to come within five kilometers of their coastline, and they will make sure you know when you have crossed the line. As recently as 2006, they have killed illegal fisherman for poaching lobsters and pigs from the island which are essential food for the locals. Two men were killed while sleeping in their boats.
via Google Maps
For a time, researchers had been able to get close to the Senegalese people and delivered gifts. In the late 1980's they were able to get close and in 1991, a friendly encounter occurred. Then, the boat drifted slightly away from the visitor and it quickly turned hostile. Drops of gifts occurred occasionally until 1996 when they began aggressively driving visitors away again so the program was stopped. It is suspected that a foreign illness was introduced and that made the locals wary of outsiders. They viciously defend their area and visitors are forbidden. The coastguard has kept people away for years in order to preserve the way of life for the people of North Sentinel.
No comments:
Post a Comment