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Of the numerous terrifying myths and legends revolving around the snowcapped Himalayas, the most popular and probably the most horrifying one is the existence of a Yeti. And, the Indian Army has claimed to have found proof that it actually exists.
The Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) took to Twitter to announce the discovery.
According to this tweet, the Indian Army's Moutaineering Expedition Team has sighted and photographed mysterious footprints of Yeti. These footprints measure 32x15 inches.
The footprints were photographed close to Makalu Base Camp on April 9, 2019. The tweet also goes on to claim that this ‘elusive snowman' has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past. So, the question that now arises is what is a Yeti and should we be alarmed?
Yeti or the Abominable Snowman is an ape-like creature that is taller than an average human being and most bears. According to Nepalese folklore, the Yeti is a part of the pre-Buddhist beliefs of several Himalayan people. It is believed that the mysterious Yeti is a wild animal, that bears resemblance with a bear, and resides in a cold and dark cave. The fables surrounding it were developed as warnings to keep people from interacting from dangerous wild animals that inhabit the Himalayas. Stories of the Yeti first emerged as a facet of Western popular culture in the 19th century, and since then the beast has either been portrayed as either a kind creature who makes snowcones in Disney and Pixar's Monster's Inc. or as a vicious man-eater in Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon.
While the Indian Army surely believes that a Yeti is freely roaming in Nepal; decades worth of scientific data proves otherwise. According to National Geographic, DNA analysis of multiple supposed Yeti samples—including hair, teeth, fur, and feces—reveal that most Yeti stories are based on real animal sightings in the high mountains. Furthermore, ‘Evolutionary history of enigmatic bears in the Tibetan Plateau–Himalaya region and the identity of the yeti' – a study published in 2017 by the Royal Society B states that the Yeti legend is deep rooted and developed from the Himalayan black and brown bears. Some researchers also suggest that unrecognized bear species or possibly a hybrid between brown bear and polar bear exists in the Himalayas, but certainly not a Yeti.
Interestingly, while a major chunk of the scientific community has denied its existence, one man, Daniel Taylor, author of Yeti: The Ecology of a Mystery, embarked on a 60-year-long search mission to meet a Yeti. Another expedition led by the Daily Mail n 1954, employed 500 porters for 6 months and a couple of bloodhounds to track the scent of a Yeti. Both unsuccessful.
Taylor's lifelong search of Yetis was inspired by a photograph of a footprint taken by British explorer Eric Shipton in 1951. The photo depicted an enormous 13-inch footprint of a hominoid. In an interview with National Geographic, Taylor explains that his fascination began after seeing the photograph in a magazine and hearing about the legend of the Yeti from his father.
While Taylor's expedition didn't bore any results, it did help him understand the great beyond. “It changed my life because I understood life in a different way. In a world that's increasingly urban, it is important that we understand we are part of life, connected to life. There are Yeti legends all over the world. There's a Russian legend about the Jungle Man, and there's a Chinese legend. This leads us into the question, what is this human hunger for these humanoid apparitions? I'm convinced it evolved out of the Victorian age when people were circling the world looking for the missing link,” he tells National Geographic.
Now, while Twitter is having a field day with this news, we're going to put on our thinking caps and look for more interesting theories revolving around the beast. Who knows, they may come handy one day!
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