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Conservationist Paul Rosolie, who has spent more than 20 years in the Amazon rainforest, discussed the deadly jungle encounter in frightening detail
15:44, Tue, Feb 3, 2026 Updated: 15:44, Tue, Feb 3, 2026
Paul Rosolie has spent more than 20 years in the Amazon (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
An Amazon expert has recounted how his friend died in a terrifying encounter with a terrifying tribe in the rainforest – who employed a chilling tactic to trap them. American Paul Rosolie, who has dedicated more than two decades to preserving the Amazon, recently discussed the fatal jungle incident with Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett on his podcast The Diary of a CEO.
In a "world first" last month, Paul released remarkable HD footage of an uncontacted tribe in an undisclosed region of Peru, noting that previous sightings had been restricted to "blurry images from someone's cell phone from 100 metres away".
In the clip, Paul and his fellow explorers hurry to a riverbank in the Amazon, where a group of armed tribesmen appear amidst a swarm of butterflies and gradually calm down as they recognise the newcomers present no danger. The pair then spoke about other uncontacted tribes, separate from those Paul captured in Peru.
Paul previously shared stunning HD video of an uncontacted tribe (Image: Junglekeepers/Paul Rosolie)
Steven enquired about the alleged capacity to speak the language of monkeys. Paul clarified that they can indeed "emulate" the calls of capuchin monkeys and birds.
It prompted him to recall a piece of guidance he once received from the father of his friend, JJ - likely referring to Juan Julio Durand, the co-founder of Paul's conservation non-profit, Junglekeepers.
Paul revealed on the podcast: "He said: 'If you're ever in the forest and you hear the animals sound a little off, if you ever just feel like something's not right about the way the animal...He said: 'They've surrounded you, and they're all watching with their bows and arrows'."
Paul previously said sightings had been limited to 'blurry images from someone's cell phone' (Image: Junglekeepers/Paul Rosolie)
Paul then mimicked how the tribespeople use whistles to communicate and described how someone might suddenly notice five around them, indicating that they have surrounded you.
He went on: "And so this is where the local people know how this stuff works. And to anyone from the outside that goes: 'There's no such thing as uncontacted tribes, and they don't communicate...', yeah, they do.
"And one of my friends was in that exact situation where they were communicating with animal calls in a circle while he was in a stream with his father.
"And, unfortunately, they shot his father in the stomach, and his father died. And then he ran for it, and he lived to tell the tale. And the next day, his community, our friends, came back, and they found this guy who had just bled out through his stomach."
In a chilling final observation, Paul disclosed that they "do not know" why the tribe chose to kill him.
Paul explained that they can "emulate" the calls of capuchin monkeys and birds (Image: facebook.com/paulrosolie)
The footage mentioned earlier was filmed more than a year ago, but the precise location of the tribe has been kept under wraps to maintain their isolation from the world outside.
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Junglekeepers also explained how the indigenous people possess no natural resistance to everyday illnesses, meaning any interaction could prove "fatal".
You can learn more about the organisation on the Junglekeepers website.
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