Today we unveiled a comprehensive digital resource on uncontacted Indigenous peoples of the Peruvian Amazon, particularly the Nomole people (commonly mislabeled as “Mashco Piro”). Our guide, available at junglekeepers.org/uncontacted, makes a simple but powerful argument: the most ethical response to uncontacted peoples is to leave them alone.

We understand that uncontacted people spark natural curiosity and fascination. We’re addressing this in an unconventional way: providing comprehensive information while explaining why further searching would be both dangerous and ethically wrong. The fundamental truth is this: They know we exist, and they choose to stay away.

We developed this resource with Dr. Kerry Bowman, bioethicist at the University of Toronto, to be comprehensive enough that readers never need to search elsewhere, while making clear why respecting their isolation is essential.

While awareness has its place in conservation, we’ve chosen a different path than organizations that publish urgent alerts with detailed maps and location data. We focus instead on quietly acquiring tens of thousands of acres to create buffer zones around uncontacted territories. We believe the most effective protection comes from expanding their safe spaces rather than revealing where those spaces are.

The strategy is simple but demanding: manage our world so fiercely that it never touches theirs. Our 35+ rangers patrol to intercept threats – illegal logging, gold mining, drug trafficking – before they reach uncontacted territories. Crucially, our teams follow a zero-contact policy, retreating when signs of uncontacted people are found.

Our resource addresses different groups that pose risks to uncontacted peoples:

To Tourists and Adventure Seekers: We state explicitly: Do not attempt to visit these areas. Do not support tourism operations that promise glimpses of uncontacted peoples.

To Researchers and Anthropologists: It is neither ethical nor safe for anyone to attempt to observe the Nomole; these are a people whose isolation must be respected, not studied.

To Media and Advocacy Organizations: We encourage thoughtful coverage that avoids specific locations and maps. When sharing images or stories, consider whether the information could inadvertently guide others to these sensitive areas.

To Everyone: The Nomole have been saying no to our world for centuries. It’s time we learned to hear it. Your role in their story is to have no role.

We believe everyone in the conservation community shares the goal of protecting uncontacted peoples – we may simply differ in our methods. Our approach emphasizes that when encounters occur, the responsible path is to maintain the boundary these peoples have established rather than amplifying incidents with detailed geographic information.

By reading our resource, you’re participating in their protection. Every person who satisfies their curiosity here rather than seeking them out, every organization that chooses discretion over disclosure, helps maintain the crucial buffer between their world and ours.

We address the name “Mashco Piro” – which contains a derogatory term meaning “savage.” The people call themselves Nomole. While Peruvian law and many media reports still use the colonial term (including in the 816,057-hectare Reserva Indígena Mashco Piro), we consistently use “Nomole” to honor the principle that people should be called by the names they choose for themselves. 

Beyond human rights, we present compelling environmental data. Indigenous-controlled lands, especially those of isolated groups, have far lower deforestation rates than surrounding regions. As we explain: “They stay hidden to stay alive; by staying alive, they keep the forests intact; by keeping the forests intact, they keep us all alive.”

This is a win for biodiversity, climate stability, and humanity as a whole.

Dr. Kerry Bowman frames this as “a moral test for our time.” We have the opportunity to demonstrate that humanity has learned from past mistakes – that we can choose restraint, humility, and respect over curiosity and exploitation.

Supporting their right to remain uncontacted isn’t abandonment – it’s recognition of their dignity, their rights, and their invaluable contribution to our planet’s health.

We invite everyone to embrace these principles:

 • Recognize this resource contains sufficient information

 • Respect these territories as off-limits

 • Avoid sharing specific location information

 • Understand that even well-intentioned interest can cause harm

 • Remember: “The most radical thing you can do is nothing at all”.

We measure success by the absence of contact and the expansion of protected territories. We don’t commission photographers. We don’t fund expeditions. We don’t publish detailed locations or maps of known areas they regularly use.

We acquire land. We create buffer zones. And then we stay away.

The hardest part isn’t the logistics or the danger, it’s the discipline to protect without interfering, guarding people you must never meet, of succeeding only when nothing happens.

We are an indigenous led organization that protects critical ecosystems in the Peruvian Amazon through land acquisition, ranger programs, and Indigenous partnerships. We’ve protected over 130,000 acres of primary rainforest, and aiming to expend to over 300,000, forming an essential corridor for biodiversity and serving as buffer zones for uncontacted territories.

Note to Media: We appreciate responsible coverage that respects the principle of voluntary isolation. We cannot provide location information, verify sightings, or participate in projects that could enable contact attempts.

For questions and other inquiries: press@junglekeepers.org

Our Shared Responsibility: As we state in the resource: “Read this. Understand it. Then leave them alone.” This applies to everyone – tourists, researchers, media, and fellow conservation organizations. Together, we can ensure the safety and autonomy of the Nomole and other uncontacted people through collective restraint, choosing protection over exposure and respect over revelation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​