The last member of a remote tribe that had no outside contact has died, but who was the 'loneliest man in the world'? The man, whose name and age are not known, and never will be, was found dead, covered in macaw feathers in the Tanaru indigenous lands of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil's Rondonia state.
The hermit, who repeatedly shunned contact with outsiders, was nicknamed 'Man of the Hole' by indigenous activists, due to his hunting technique which involved digging deep holes. But his other nickname might be more accurate, as for the last 26 years of his life he lived completely alone - after his friends and family were poisoned in what's now being called a 'secret genocide'.
What do you think about the 'loneliest man in the world'? Let us know in the comments...
We reported last week how the tribesman was found in a hammock inside a hut on August 23.
It is believed that he knew he was about to die, as he was holding an ornamental macaw feather – which is part of his tribe's death ritual.
There were no signs of struggle or violence, and nobody else was suspected of having played a part in his death.
Local police will forensically examine the body, but it is believed that he died of natural causes.
Fiona Watson, from charity Survival International, said: "No outsider knew this man's name, or even very much about his tribe -- and with his death the genocide of his people is complete.
"For this was indeed a genocide - the deliberate wiping out of an entire people by cattle ranchers hungry for land and wealth.
"He was the last of his tribe, and so that is one more tribe made extinct – not disappeared, as some people say, it's much more active and genocidal a process than disappearing."
The man was monitored by the Brazilian Government’s Indian Affairs agency (FUNAI), who confirmed that he lived alone for the last 26 years of his life.
The rest of his tribe are believed to have been killed in the 1970s and 1980s when ranchers allegedly laid out sugar laced with rat poinson.
Six members of the tribe survived, but they were shot dead in the 1990s and the man's complete isolation began, as the Daily Mail reports.
Fiona Watson, research director of Survival International, said: "One can only imagine what this man was thinking, going through, living on his own, not able to speak to anybody and I think very frightened because any outsider for him represented a threat, given his terrible experience."
A rare image of the man was captured in 1996 and over the years a few attempts to contact him have been made - by FUNAI workers and members of a neighbouring tribe.
It was hoped that information could be learned about the man, including which tribe he belonged to, but he became hostile and seriously injured the FUNAI worker with an arrow.
Marcelo dos Santos, leader of the expedition, said: "We tried to establish a conversation and offered corn and arrows, but he was terrified and very aggressive.
"From this moment on, we had to respect his isolation."
From that point on all attempts to contact the man were abandoned, and researchers resorted to simply checking if he was still alive.
He lived in around 8,000 hectares of almost impenetrable jungle and was once seen hacking down a tree with a hand-made tool that resembled an axe.
FUNAI made it their mission to keep track of the man, as nearby cattle ranchers often complained that one lone tribesman controlled so much land.
On one occasion, shotgun shells were found near his territory and it is believed they were from an assassination attempt by the ranchers.
For more of the news you care about, straight to your inbox, sign up for one of our daily newsletters here.
It is reported that the man built 53 huts during his lifetime, made from straw, all with a single entrance and inside a hole dug up to 10 feet deep, some of which were lined with sharpened stakes.
He is known to be the only tribesman in the area to dig holes, and experts believed they held a mystical significance as strange 'scratch marks' were found on the walls.
He was also a keen gardener and would grow papaya, cassava and corn, and visitors have said they were 'beautifully kept'.
Fiona, from Survival International, visited in 2005 and said: "His presence is everywhere and I can sense him watching our every move."
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
