Man of the Hole is a nickname used by the media to describe a man who is indigenous to Brazil (sometimes referred to as an "Indian") who lives alone in the Amazon rainforest and is believed to be the last surviving member of his tribe. It is unknown what language he speaks or what his tribe was called.
Contents
Name
The Man of the Hole's nickname derives from the deep hole found in each home he abandoned, which is believed to be used to trap animals or for him to hide in. The holes are over 6 feet (1.8 meters) deep.
He has also been referred to as the Man in the Hole, Last of his Tribe, the Last Tribesman, and the Loneliest Man on Earth.
Timeline
People first became aware of the Man of the Hole's isolated existence in 1996.
In 2007, the Brazilian government's Fundação Nacional do Índio (FUNAI) "declared a 31-square-mile [8,029 hectare] area around him off-limits to trespassing and development." His territory was later expanded by 11.5 square miles (3,000 hectares). Brazil's constitution, ratified in 1988, had already granted indigenous people ("Indians") rights to lands they had traditionally inhabited.
In 2009, the Man of the Hole was attacked by gunmen but is believed to have survived.