Spectacular images offering insight into the lives of the Huaorani people in the Ecuadorian Amazon have been revealed showing how they use traditional methods to hunt monkeys for food. The stunning pictures were taken by conservation photographer Pete Oxford from Torquay, Devon in the Ecuadorian Amazon. “The Huaorani Indians are a forest people highly in tune with their environment. Many are now totally acculturated since the 1950s by missionaries”, said Pete. “Today they face radical change to their culture to the proximity of oil exploration within their territory and the Yasuni National Park and Biosphere Reserve, they are vastly changed. Some still live very traditionally and for this shoot, through my Huaorani friend, a direct relative of those photographed he wanted to depict them as close to their original culture as possible. They still largely hunt with blow pipes and spears eating a lot of monkeys and peccaries”. The Huaorani are also known as the Waorani, Waodani or the Waos and are native Amerindians. Their lands are located between the Curaray and Napo rivers and speak the Huaorani language. Pete says that during his visit he was welcomed into the group and hopes that ancient cultures can be saved. Here: The tribe were seen celebrating after a hunter returned to camp with a wild pig. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





The tribe also feasts on blue toucans. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





One tribesman was pictured decorating a colourful headdress. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





Children were pictured sitting in a hammock as they watched a woman cook dinner inside one of the huts. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





One tribesman with stretched ear-lobes was seen carrying a parrot. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





The tribe build group shelters in clearings using branches from the rainforest. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





One spectacular image shows a warrior returning from a successful hunt. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





The tribesmen also hunt jungle creatures using spears. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





The Huaorani people in the Ecuadorian rainforest hunt monkeys by climbing trees and shooting them with blowpipes. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





One member of the tribe appeared to have deformed feet. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





Some members of the South American tribe stretch their ear lobes. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





A peccary pig was seen roasting on an open flame. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





Warriors hunt their prey by climbing trees and shooting them with long blowpipes. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





A small child was pictured watching an elderly woman knit. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)





Photographer Pete Oxford is pictured here with some of the women in the tribe. (Photo by Pete Oxford/Mediadrumworld.com)