The Korowai people of West Papua, Indonesia live just as they did 10,000 years ago practising witchcraft and are believed to still eat human flesh.They live in the heart of the rainforest, where they’re not yet exposed to the modern world, so they still maintain many of their age-old traditions.

The Korowai people have no access to modern medicine and treat diseases with herbs and witchcraft.

Generally, tribe members have a life expectancy of under 50 years of age.

Living without scientific knowledge, the Korowai believe mysterious deaths are attributed to the ‘Khakhua’ – demons who take on the human form.

‘Khakhuas’ 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. It is Korowai tradition to perform cannibalistic rituals on anyone believed to be a ‘Khakua’ so to protect the rest of the members.

After seizing the demon, the tribe will kill the ‘Khakua’ victim. After being killed, a person’s body parts will be divided between the clan and then eaten.

In 2006, a television show filmed for 60 minutes the murder of someone in the Korowai community who was punished for being a “khakhua” or a witch. He was tortured, executed, and eaten.