I Spent 3 Days With World's Last Hunter-Gatherer Tribe

I'm about to go hunting with one of the world's last remaining hunter gatherer tribes.

They're loose, sprinting through the bush.

Meet the Hzab of Tanzania.

>> These skilled archers hunt baboons with handmade weapons and eat every last bite.

If there's no kill, there's no food.

Over the next 3 days, I'm leaving modern civilization

behind to observe their way of life and join them on an 8-hour hunt

through one of the harshest environments on Earth.

They just busted open a beehive

and they're just swarmed by bees.

>> Can we actually take down a baboon or will I slow them down and

get left >> The ultimate test of survival

starts After a 4-hour ride on bumpy roads, we have finally made it to the Hab Drive.

This is going to be a wild adventure.

As soon as we arrive, I meet my local friend and translator, Musa,

who grew up nearby and knows how to navigate their culture with respect.

We're also with my friend Cory, who will help capture the journey with his lens.

And just a little warning, many scenes are too gory for YouTube's liking.

So, I've made a raw, unfiltered,

and unedited version of this video on the link below. We made it. Holy crap. >> Hello. Hello. How are you? Hello. Hello. >> Hello. Hello.

>> To say hello, they say.

>> can you do that? No.

>> Did you guys catch anything this

>> Yesterday they had a baboon,

but they ate almost all of it.

So, just the >> Holy crap.

It looks like he's still alive. This is crazy.

What is going on?

He's holding two baboon heads and he's talking.

>> They're proud of their catch and they try to imitate the baboon sound.

>> So, this is how they dry the meat.

They cut the meat into small pieces

and they hang it on a tree to dry it so they can use

it for a few days.

>> It's like beef jerky. What's up, man?

>> I guess that means how you doing?

What did he say? He said welcome. Something like that. >> What's your name?

>> How old are you?

>> He doesn't know how.

>> He doesn't know how old.

>> So is that their only language? The clicking language. >> Yeah.

Not all the words

contain click sound, but they most of them also speak

some sili >> The hazab

are one of the last real huntergatherer

tribes left on earth, which means if they don't hunt, they don't eat.

They have lived in the harsh, dry land of Tanzania's

northern plateau for over 50,000 years.

Their language is largely made up of clicking sounds and is 100% unique to them.

>> The Hzab are also nomadic,

constantly moving in search of food, water, and

>> But with fewer than a thousand members left, their ancient way of life is quickly vanishing.

And that's why their customs give us a rare look into humanity's most primal roots. Found it.

Found the women's section.

>> Something I find really interesting about this tribe is that the men sit separately

from the women and they don't even speak to them.

It's almost like there's a wall in between.

They're really just right over there.

You can see them sitting with their kids,

but the men just like hang out.

They're smoking and drinking during the day. They're just chilling.

And the women are with the kids.

I saw a mom walking her son for the first time.

It was very precious.

And I'm assuming when they go to sleep and they're they're together.

It's also very interesting that the Hazaba

tribe doesn't have a traditional chief like other tribes.

They're all kind of together as one.

I actually think that's really cool.

It's the first tribe I've ever visited in Africa without a chief or a leader in charge.

The Hzab don't care about materialistic

things, social status, or the hierarchies of modern life.

They don't use any kind of money, and their entire economy revolves around the land.

Life here is unforgiving,

and the infant mortality rate is high.

While a Hzab women typically give birth to four children, an average of only two will survive.

Before I join their hunt, I want to talk to the only English speaking

Hzab, Frank, about what it means to grow up here.

>> At what age did you like break away and go to school?

>> When I was uh 13.

>> Why did you go to school?

But some of them don't like how did that happen?

Was it your parents that like forced you to >> My mom.

>> Your mom, >> she told me that when I go to school, you be more than better.

>> Do you often come back and visit the the

>> Always when it's a holiday

is completely different with now.

We don't have phones.

We don't have communication.

>> Do you think these guys

eventually will have phones or do you think they will live their whole life like this?

>> But then it's okay

>> because we try to

bring them to town

and they don't want to stay town. >> Interesting.

So you took this guy to

>> When you went to Arouchia,

what did you think about it and why did you want to come back here?

>> He said that no meat there.

No meat, no baboon,

no monkey, no At the town

we buy, but here we hunt.

>> Do you think someday you will own a phone?

Like, do you want to be able to communicate with other people?

>> He said that it would be better to have a phone.

>> What do you think the outside world is

So he says that first of all, he don't believe that man use plane.

How can I transport by using plane?

>> He knows that people are in the plane. >> He knows that.

He someday crossing here I saw that.

So you know that people using as a transport

>> and what does he think about the outside world like

other countries >> when you go out the country you're going to die.

>> That's what he said. >> Yeah.

He say that you're going to die

because of the cold

but he don't know

>> what what makes you happy

>> when we are hunting and we success.

We are happy >> like today

we are going we we we lose. We are happy.

>> Many people in my country

>> when they see you eating a baboon,

they're going to think this a bad thing.

>> They're going to say like don't kill the animals.

Like save the animals.

What do you think about this?

First of all, he doesn't care about what they talking

>> about the when they eat baboon.

But he said that they from hunting tribe.

We must hunt and we eat no matter what. We like baboon.

>> If you were alone

in the middle of the bush

with no people, no communities,

only a knife, how long could you

He says that he can't stay have only knife.

He needs bow and arrow.

>> If you have a bow and arrow,

how long could you survive?

>> The Hzabin make their own arrows unlike any other tribe.

They trade for nails, which they hammer into a sharp point.

They spend hours carving the wood, straightening it with their teeth, then tying it

together with plant fibers and finishing it off with feathers.

All different arrows for different

I'm amazed by his presentation.

The sounds are like spot Oh no. Jeez. This is poisonous. Oh. Okay.

All the way to

It's really durable, this thing.

>> This kid must be like 8 years old.

>> There's about 15 people here.

Who's the best hunter of your community?

>> Who has the most catches?

Someone has the most catches.

>> Everyone is good on Buen. >> All right.

If that if that's the answer, then that's the answer.

You know it sounds like a very simple and not a very stressful life.

Do you have any stressful moments in your life? >> Hot air. >> Hot air. >> Hot air.

>> So he says it seems

an easy life but it's

not like the way it seems because not all the time they succeed on

>> So not all the time they will have enough for themselves.

>> It's really cool how animated these people are.

Like everything they do, everything they say, they have a lot of

That was insanely talented. That was great.

The night is coming and everyone is literally just chilling like hanging out.

It's just an incredibly

chill life out here.

You know, I visited many different tribes in Africa and around the world, it's

really hit or miss.

Some of them you visit and you feel like they're putting on a show

for tourists and you know, they see the car pull in, they put on

their their beads and their outfit and it just feels fake and I don't like that.

But here in Tanzania

with the Hab tribe, this is really how they are.

They just act like this.

Our tour guide, Musa, said he comes here alone cuz he's friends with these

people and this is exactly how they live every single day.

They're just hanging out.

>> He's trying to teach me how to do the clicking sound.

>> This story is very different than my other ones in that I'm not in a bustling market.

I'm not running around the streets somewhere.

I'm just chilling, taking life slow,

and hanging out with these dudes.

I thought he was like telling a story when he was pointing over the

tree, but he was really pointing at a bird

and the kid missed it. Damn.

I am literally just chilling here alone with the tribe

and trying to make sense of a conversation. Wow, guys.

I am speechless right now.

I just want to take a moment and appreciate

the beautiful sunset, the thunder that I just heard, the rainstorm

coming, and just hanging out with the Hab tribe.

They're cooking up dinner, and then I'm going to go to bed early because

I haven't slept in 2 days, and tomorrow morning it's starting at 6:00 a.m.

They're going to take us on a hunt. I can't wait.

As we're winding down, I show the kids some funny filters on my phone.

It's amazing to see how laughter is universal. a baby face.

>> Cory was just out in the bush with this kid and he comes back

with a fresh >> This is a bird that the kid just caught 5 minutes ago. Fresh bird.

Tastes like chicken, but really good. A little bony.

A little gameier than chicken, but it's not It's really not that bad.

When you were his age, you went to school.

So my question is, if you had the opportunity to go to school,

would you would you go?

>> Yeah, I can go. >> You would go? >> Yeah.

How do you feel when like tourists come here? >> Yeah.

He says that I feel better because they give us something good.

>> Have you ever left the village to go into the city?

>> If you ever had the chance, would you go >> for study? >> All right, guys.

Have a good night.

We'll see you in the morning.

Big hunt >> Thank you. Thank you. Bye-bye.

As night falls, reality sets in.

I need to rest up for tomorrow's big hunt.

And the sleeping arrangements are rough.

There is a massive centipede.

Dude, he's eating something.

Get in here quickly. >> Closed.

This is our home for the night.

>> Get rid of it, man. Get it out. >> All right.

I hope that centipede isn't in here.

So, we slept in this little tent and it was pouring rain all night

and we woke up to a lot of our gear being soaked.

Cory's drone controller is broken and this lens has water in it.

My bag is damp.

Thankfully, my computer and my passport and all that is dry.

Not the most favorable

conditions, but these are just the battle wounds that that happens when you shoot

these kind of stories.

Today we're going on a very special hunt with the Hzab.

They start bright and early, 5:45 a.m.

when it's orange hour like it is now.

And they said it could be up to an 8 hour hike.

So hopefully we catch something.

And whether we do or we don't, it's going to be a freaking crazy journey. Here we go.

Bro, just got real. It got real.

>> Can you show that? >> Yeah. Yeah.

I feel like it's the calm before the storm.

Like >> we went from just like eating breakfast, taking a quick poop,

and now it's like, "Oh shit."

2 minutes and you got to go. >> Morning. Morning. >> Hello. Hello. Hello.

>> Before the little hunter, they're cooking a bird on the fire. >> All right.

But within seconds of us like coming over to say hi to them, good morning, they're off.

They grab their bow and arrows and they're moving

and the dogs are following.

I didn't expect this pack of dogs to join us, but I learned that

they're pivotal to a successful hunt.

They act as our eyes and ears, sniffing out animals and driving them into

trees, making sure that everyone,

human or dog, gets to feast.

So, every morning is like this.

>> Yeah, they do it almost every day.

These guys are not messing around.

They walk super fast.

They're on a mission right now to hunt some food for survival.

Do you think you're going to catch something today? >> There shots. There shot one. We got it. We're already ready. Nice.

Within the first 5 minutes, we got a

I've been walking uphill for like this whole time.

Just shows how out of shape I am compared to these guys.

Apparently the donkeys are scared.

They don't want to get hunted. They're all crying.

Even just trying to keep up with this kid is tough.

These guys are on the move. >> It's crazy.

These guys are just shooting birds out of the sky.

I've never seen anything like it before in my life.

They heard guinea fowl and we're going.

This is insane, dude.

They're loose sprinting through the bush. Nice, man. So awesome, man.

A full on hunt.

We really hope to catch a baboon.

So far, we got a squirrel and a bird.

It's game Getting into some denser vegetation here. Like real skinny.

And the thing is, all these plants are thorny.

So they keep sticking onto my pants or my arms or neck.

We're moving fast through the bush when we spot our first monkey high in the trees.

The men take their shot, but it scramles away at the last second.

No kill this time, but the hunt is far from over.

Oh, and there's one.

You know, there's more.

>> The monkey is on on the top of the tree

and the dog is blocking it from climbing

>> So, the monkeyy's scared to jump down cuz the dog

>> they have a good sense of smell so they

>> Did I get it?

No, that didn't too thick.

It's crazy how the dogs

and the humans are on a team

to get the monkey

and they all benefit from the kill. That's cool.

Little water break for the dogs. I'm stuck.

I literally can't get out of Maybe this way. Holy crap, man. This is insane.

You got so many holes in your shirt in the back.

You're bleeding a little bit, too.

>> This shirt's done, by the way.

>> Done for I know, >> but I'm Okay, I got it. >> All right.

I can hear you.

I can't see Cory and I are just like stuck somewhere.

We don't know where anybody

>> We're just hearing voices all around us.

>> It's more mentally frustrating than No, dude. This is Man. Ow.

They're going too fast.

We can't find them.

Debating whether I should just sit and wait for

>> Obviously, I am struggling.

There's no competing with hunters who have trained their whole lives in this environment.

By the time I catch my breath, they've already cut down a beehive and

are digging in to eat the world's freshest honey packed with nutrients.

>> How you doing, man?

How's the hunt going for you so far? >> Yeah.

Can I eat this? >> It's so good. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's great. Yeah.

This is a straight up honeycomb.

This is so good.

It's like sweet honey.

It's like crunchy because it's >> Oh That's good.

>> How's it taste, buddy? Good.

Oh, what the >> They just shot this little nest.

I thought it was like ants or something, but it's a freaking full-on like squirrel thing, >> dude. Oh.

Oh, that's that's brutal, man.

They just found a fresh footprint of a bush pig or a wartthog.

So, obviously, as normal, they booked it.

Just trying to catch up.

Yeah, >> guys are just like super super fast. >> It's crazy, man.

>> Dude, the thorns, bro.

>> Just one more time.

>> We made it to the top of the mountain now, so we can just

look out at the

We just stumbled across a dead baboon.

Not a kill, but Oh, you could smell it. It's rancidoo.

They tell us this baboon died 3 days ago, but the hzab

still decide to rip off an arm and a leg to cook back home.

>> Is this normal on your hikes?

It's always like this.

Ah, I don't think I've ever had to do this before in my life.

This is no joke, man.

These guys are straight up army crawling.

Yeah, I can't army crawl.

This is one of the hardest hikes I've ever done.

There's there's there's no way, dude.

I'm rolling the GoPro on him.

Hopefully, we can get the catch with that.

It's 11:02 in the morning.

We are over 5 hours into the hike so far.

No luck on baboons.

We now heading back to campsite.

I'm so exhausted right now.

I like my legs are killing me.

My back is killing me from bending over.

Plenty more things happening today when we get back to camp.

He's cutting down some wood to make some new bow and arrows.

Carrying it with him. So tired.

>> Yeah, I need I need at least 5 minutes. Oh my god.

We're about 7 hours into this hike and I'ming dead.

Just keep walking and keep walking.

It's like never ending.

Ah, the other guys are coming.

I thought they were way in front of us, but they were behind us. Hey there, sunshine.

We still have like a ways to go, bro.

Don't tell me about that.

Guy just caught another bird.

It's still alive, by the way, but he's basically suffocating it with the string.

>> We've hit a point in the hunt where we need to start heading back

in the direction of our camp.

And I'm so dead, I'm not sure I can physically make it back.

A few guys are staying behind to keep hunting for baboon.

And I can't help but admire the patience it takes to completely survive off the land.

>> After 7 and 1/2 hours, we made it back.

The other guys are still out hunting.

We must have walked 15 to 20 m.

I am wiped out and I need to rest.

So I decide to relax with the others who are sitting around and smoking.

They are ripping a pipe right now.

I haven't seen a human rip a pipe like that since college. Holy crap.

>> They're now passing around a large pot of fermented beer.

Like a kind of local beer they drink.

I've tried it in many different African countries.

I know exactly what it tastes like.

So, it is universal drinking and smoking. Everyone does it.

The guys in front of me are taking the baboon leg straight to the fire.

This is everything that we just caught.

>> That must be the chaa.

>> Which one of these are you most excited to eat? >> Baboon. Nice.

>> Out of nowhere, the remaining hunters finally return and they have a fresh catch. A baboon.

He has it strapped over his body like a backpack, like it's just another

day at the office.

And everyone is happy for the upcoming feast.

They just took the arrow

out of the neck and he's explaining how how they got a perfect shot

right in the neck.

Their accuracy is incredible when they shoot.

It's like one shot done.

the bile, the stomach, intestines.

He came over here with the intestines and he's hanging it on a tree.

Look at this guy. This is hilarious. Yo, man. Your new job.

>> I taught him how to focus, so he should be good.

>> I'm not making this story to brag or show off or try to be cool.

This is real life for these people.

They are hunter gatherers.

This is how they eat.

If they don't catch anything, they don't have food.

It's really a special thing to witness and I hope you guys are able

to resonate with this story.

The sun is going down.

The fire is coming out and the baboon will be cooking.

>> He's demonstrating how they make fire.

Basically, they just take a stick, rub it really quickly in the ground,

right on top of the knife,

and makes a fire.

He literally made that fire in like 20

>> And now they're skinning the head.

Do they they eat all parts of the head, the brains, everything? >> Yeah, everything.

For them, uh, baboon is one of the delicas meat.

So, they prefer baboon meat rather than any other >> And you would you try it today?

>> Uh, no, no, no, not really.

>> I'm not sure how much of this I'm able to show on YouTube, but

right in front of me right now, there's two baboon heads and they're just

going crazy skinning them, taking off the fur, and then now they're just digging

into the >> So, they're going to make a headband

or >> This guy is putting the baboon on his head.

Oh, you see that?

Oh, they say like this is one of the

of the best >> They're going to boil it.

They're complaining about because the guy

put a lot of water.

This is my first ever bite of baboon.

>> it's pretty gy texture-wise.

Like I think dried meat, but flavor-wise pretty gy.

It has that like pungent smell like when you breathe out of your nose.

>> Is this Is this here?

This here >> and the heart here. Here. >> Yeah.

It's like the heart.

This is the squirrel or tindi as they call it.

Very >> Is it good?

>> Now this is good.

This tastes like chicken. Oh yeah.

I could munch on this all day. >> All right. Old baboon.

>> It's It's not terrible.

Gy, but it has like a It almost has like a jerky taste. for dessert.

Animal heads from previous

>> We're going to eat this, man.

>> I'll go after you. food.

I mean, >> the baboon

heads are finished and he is now

just eating it just straight up.

>> I He's offering it to me.

>> I know you want to try it, bro.

Don't around with me.

>> I do want to try it.

>> The moment homie started eating, everyone's just coming around waiting for their share.

I mean, this is probably the closest you can get to eating a human head. >> Oh, the smell. Smell that.

You don't like it?

It's not your turn.

>> So these guys live like this every day.

They're not doing this cuz we're here.

>> So they are not doing it for a show or a tourist boot.

So this is their daily

>> I want to try it so bad.

>> Well, this this one is not fresh.

I don't recommend you to try >> for sickness reasons.

>> Yeah, you might get sick.

You know, their stomachs are used to this.

>> The baboon soup is ready

and they're just feasting.

I mean, he's like going hard at it.

And it's it's really

special to witness this.

Very few places in the world you can feel culture like this.

True proper huntergatherer tribe.

It's I I'm out of words right now.

He cut the brush. >> He feel better.

And he made for you this for you. It's hard.

Look at these guys.

Has like rock hard teeth.

I can really get through it.

>> It gets in all the cracks though.

Like >> that's pretty cool, man.

Life is much simpler than we make it out to be.

>> How did you feel the first time you saw a foreigner here? >> For real.

>> They don't saw anything. They hear something.

They hear car and they going to climb the tree. Quiet.

So he said I saw a white man passing down there.

So he hear the guide starting to call in.

So he said, "Oh, this is my f."

So I started going down and then going to looking for them.

>> How did you feel when the white person came here?

So the first time we don't want white men here,

white people because we don't know who are they, who are they from.

Now they feel better.

Even you want to stay with them, you can leave it here.

Now we are friends.

>> Wait, what are you guys talking about?

>> He g me some story about the morning.

He said that there are place that you

here and they say

here we can pass.

Let's go >> Yeah, I was freaking tired. Yeah.

>> He tried to explain to you.

>> They're all giving Cory and I cuz we couldn't army crawl.

>> And these guys are so fast. >> This is amazing. >> They're so fast.

>> We're capable, but yeah, not like that.

When you think about the stamina these guys have, imagine waking up every morning at 6:00 a.m.

and coming back in the door at 1:00

after hiking mountains, dodging,

army crawling, shooting bow and arrows. It's It's insane.

>> As the sun sets, we gather around the fire, watching the Hzab

dance, sing, and celebrate life.

In our increasingly modern world, they've managed to hold on to something that the

rest of us are searching for, happiness.

Despite the hardships and the lack of material possessions,

it is the joy, the laughter, and the connection that matters most.

The Hzab don't need much to survive.

And maybe that's something we could all learn from.

As we leave the tribe behind and head back to civilization,

I'm feeling a deep sense of gratitude for this experience.

The Hzab may live in one of the harshest environments on Earth, but they

have shown me what it means to live with purpose,

tradition, and above all, a sense of community.