What in the World
What in the World
Why North Sentinel island doesn’t want visitors
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April 14, 2025
12 minutes
Available for over a year
East of India is a small island called North Sentinel Island. It’s home to the Sentinelese people. But no one else is welcome to visit, and if they try, they may face death. The Sentinelese have made it clear they don’t want to be contacted and prefer to be alone. But recently, a 24-year-old American tourist allegedly managed to sneak onto the island and leave a can of coke and coconut as an offering. So who are these uncontactable groups and why do people keep trying to visit?
The BBC’s global population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty tells us more about the uncontactable tribes. And Jonathan Mazower from Survival International, a charity which supports the Indigenous, tribal and uncontacted peoples, explains why social media is putting these groups in further danger.
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Presenter: Mimi Swaby
Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Emilia Jansson
Assistant Editor: Emily Horler