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PRIVACY

Explorer meets merciless tribe that 'eats people' as a 'form of punishment'

An adventurer that has travelled to the ends of the earth and back, spent some time with an ancient tribe in Papua New Guinea and attempted to put their customs and practices into perspective has found that their cannibalism is a unique form of 'justice'

The reasoning behind this tribe's cannibalism is eye-opening for most who dare visit them(Best Ever Food Review Show/Youtube)

When Drew Binksy travelled across the world to Papua New Guinea alone to face a "cannibal tribe," he wasn't sure what to expect - but he soon found that he had nothing to worry about - unless he committed a crime or became possessed.

A small tribe in the jungles of a South American jungle known as the Korowai or Kolufo people live the same way that their stone age ancestors did, wearing little clothing and hunting with bows and arrows. They weren't even contacted until the 1970's - nearly 50 years ago now.

In those 50 years since they've made contact, much has changed for the tribespeople. But some traditions are kept alive. But sister tribes explain that the Korowai aren't bloodthirsty at all. They just prefer their justice served the old-fashioned way - over a fire. It turns out that the group does still have cannibalistic tendencies, but only when it comes to criminals or those that become possessed.

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Cannibal tribe cook and eat thieves as brutal punishment(Best Ever Food Review Show/Youtube)

“I learned that the Korowai don't eat humans for enjoyment or nutritional value,” he explained. “It's simply a form of punishment. You steal something, you get burned over a fire and eaten," says Drew.

While they were once known in the media as a 'brutal cannibalistic tribe,' recent reports show that much of this has been overstated to bring in tourists.

The Korowai have a rich narrative of myths and legends and magic. Most of the infighting or trouble in the group stems from when a member is accused of sorcery or becoming possessed by a demon. They believe that an evil demon called a khakua can possess a human being and 'take them from the inside,' turning them into a 'witch.'

For them, the cannibalism is just common sense. “The Korowai believe that mysterious deaths like diseases are attributed to the khakua or evil demons who take on the human form,” Drew says. "Khakuas are said to disguise themselves as friends or family members in an attempt to gain the trust of the tribe so they can later kill them."