They hunt, in particular, several species of monkeys (Alouatta spp., Cebus spp., Saimiri sp., Lagothrix spp., Ateles sp., Saguinus spp., Callicebus torquatus), and birds (Muscovy duck, chachalacas, guans, curassows, grey-winged trumpeter and toucans).

They also use javelins made out of Socratea exorrhiza palm wood to hunt two species of peccaries (Tayassu pecari and T. tajacu) and spectacled caimans, whose eggs they consume.

Nukak neither hunt nor eat brocket deer, Odocoileus virginianus, and tapirs (Tapirus terrestris); they consider these animals to share a common ancestor with humans.

), tortoises (Geochelone sp), frogs (in large quantities), crabs, shrimps, snails, larvae of palm weevils (mojojoy, "mun", Rhynchophorus spp.)

[3][7][8] The Nukak eat several species of fish, like Hoplias sp., Myloplus spp., Mylossoma spp., Hydrolycus sp., Cichla sp., surubí (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum), catfishes (Brachyplatystoma spp.

[3][7][8] They collect honey of twenty species of bees and many fruits: palm fruits (Jessenia bataua), Oenocarpus spp., Attalea spp., Mauritia sp., Phenakospermum guyannense, Aechmea sp., Inga sp., Couma macrocarpa, Iryanthera sp., Theobroma spp., Pourouma spp., Parinari sp., Micrandra sp., Helicostylis sp., Caryocar sp., Talisia sp., Hymenaea sp., Dacryodes spp., Abuta sp., Eugenia spp., Touraleia sp., Perebea spp., Protium sp., Cecropia sp., Batocarpus sp., Hyeronimasp., Brosimumsp., Dialiumsp., Garciniasp., Manilkarasp., Naucleopsisspp., Pradosiasp., Pouteriasp., Salasiasp., Passifloraspp., Duroia maguirei, Duroia hirsuta, Mouririsp., and Alibertia sp.

; blowguns with Iriartella stigera, Bactris maraja; bows with Duguetia quitarensis; axe ends with Aspidosperma sp.

They traditionally cultivate for food, tubers such as sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), taros (Xanthosoma violaceum, Colocasia sp.

Also peach palms (Bactris gasipaes), pineapple (Ananas comosus), chili pepper (Capsicum chinense), and several fruit trees.

They also plant to obtain tools for daily life (like bowls of Crescentia cujete and Lagenaria siceraria); or to make dyes.

(like "achiote" Bixa orellana and "carayurú" Arrabidaea chica, in order to paint the body); and a cane (Gynerium sagittatum), to make arrows and harpoons.

If the woman accepts, she settles down in the man's encampment; if they have a child then they are considered a formal pair, which establishes mutual relations of kinship, expressed in rights and duties of reciprocity.

[12] Nukak populations have lowered from malaria, measles and pulmonary diseases since their contact with the New Tribes Mission and other outsiders beginning in 1981.

[5] Today coca growers, left-wing FARC guerillas, right-wing AUC paramilitaries, and the Colombian army have occupied their lands.