A new baby has been born to the Onge tribe of the Andaman Islands. The Onge's numbers have plummeted in the past century and their birth rate is very low, so the birth, which brings the population to 97, is a cause for hope.
The Onge people, who like the other isolated tribes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands survived the tsunami of December 26, left their coastal settlements when the tsunami struck. They have set up temporary camps in the forests of their island, Little Andaman. The tribe once inhabited the whole of Little Andaman, but the island is now also home to thousands of Indian settlers, and much of it has been deforested. The Onge have complained that wild pigs, which a man must kill in order to marry, are now scarce.
Act now to help the Jarawa
Survival’s Andamans campaign focuses on the Jarawa, because their situation is the most precarious of the four tribes. Your support is vital for the Jarawa’s survival. There are lots of ways you can help.
- E-mail the Indian government asking it to stop the ‘human safaris’ threatening the Jarawa
- Donate to Survival’s campaign for the Jarawa and other threatened tribal peoples
- Write to the Indian government using Survival’s online letter-writing tool
- Write to your MP or MEP (UK) or Senators and members of Congress (US).
- Write to your local Indian high commission or embassy
- If you want to get more involved, contact Survival
