While making a study of the flora and fauna of Irian Jaya in Papua New Guinea, four young British scientists were captured by the primitive tribespeople and held hostage for months. Spirited away within the sacred forest, forced to scavenge for food and live, in a way they had never dreamt of, like the native people, they were constantly under threat for their lives. Their eventual release was bittersweet. Before they returned safe to the Western world two of the Indonesian members of their group were hacked to death in front of them by the rebels.