Indian Army Spots Evidence of Yeti
A photo taken by the Indian army showing large mysterious footprints in the snow near the Makalu base camp in the Himalayas. Photograph: AFP/Getty
The Yeti — a Sherpa word for “wild man” has cast a spell over the world since British explorer, Eric Shipton found a Yeti footprint and took a picture of it in 1951. Since then, numerous expeditions were organised in search of the Yeti, including one funded by the American millionaire, Tom Slick that involved 500 porters, spending 6 months in the field. It was said that even the King of Nepal contracted someone to specially search for Yetis three times a year and give reports.
On April 9th, 2019, footprints measuring 81 by 38 centimetres (31.88 by 14.96 inches) close to a camp near Mount Makalu was found by the Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition Team. Located on the border between Nepal and China, Makalu is among the highest mountains in the world and at the remote wilderness near the Makalu-Barun valley. On April 30th, 2019, the pictures were tweeted to nearly 6 million followers with a message that the army had found “mysterious footprints of [the] mythical beast”. This is yet another evidence of the existence of this “elusive snowman”. While some dismissed the idea of the Abominable Snowman as preposterous, these findings or discoveries continue to prompt many to go looking for the creature, or simply share the tales of this creature that roams the Himalayas.
The origins of Yeti stories were found to be based on real animals. Just because scientists from the West cannot prove something does not mean what the Easterners believe are not valid and authentic. Eastern beliefs do not need Western confirmation to be true. Having said that, scientific studies, such as a paper published in 2014 that analysed two Yeti fur samples from Bhutan and northern India, showed a match with the ancient polar bear DNA. It was concluded that a polar bear-brown bear hybrid could still be alive in the Himalayas.
As for the recent discovery, the Indian army said the “evidence” about the yeti had been “photographed” and “handed over to subject matter experts”.
‘Yeti’ footprints discovered by Indian army mountaineers
in Nepal’s snow-capped Himalayas
The footprints were seen on Mount Makalu, near a valley previously surveyed for the mythic beast. (Twitter: ADG PI – Indian Army)
Mountaineers from the Indian army on an expedition in Nepal have found mysterious footprints in the snow that they claim belong to the yeti, or the abominable snowman, the military has said.
Largely regarded by the scientific community as a myth, the yeti is part of Nepali folklore and is said to live high in the snow-capped Himalayas.
In a tweet, the Indian army said it had seen footprints measuring 81 by 38 centimetres close to a camp near Mount Makalu on April 9.
“For the first time, an #IndianArmy Mountaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast ‘Yeti’,” it said in the tweet, not explaining how a mythical beast could leave footprints.
Footprints found by the Indian army on an expedition in Nepal
Footprints found by the Indian army on an expedition in Nepal
The Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition Team who found the footprints
Located on the border between Nepal and China, Makalu is among the highest mountains in the world and stands near the Makalu-Barun valley, a remote wilderness that has also been surveyed by researchers hunting for the yeti.
Tales of a wild hairy beast roaming the Himalayas have captured the imagination of climbers in Nepal since the 1920s, prompting many, including Sir Edmund Hillary, to go looking for the creature.
In 2008, Japanese climbers returning from a mountain in western Nepal told Reuters they had seen footprints, which they thought belonged to the yeti.
But they did not manage to find any evidence the creature exists. Scientists have found little evidence of the yeti’s existence at all.
In 2017, a group of international researchers studied multiple purported yeti samples collected from across the Himalayan region and concluded they belonged to bears.
In 2008, two men in the US said they had found the remains of a half-man, half-ape, which was eventually revealed to be a rubber gorilla suit.
Reuters
‘Yeti’ footprints sighted claims Indian Army tweet –
and social media reacts
By Julia Hollingsworth, CNN
Updated 1335 GMT (2135 HKT) April 30, 2019
(CNN) For centuries, humans have been searching for the Yeti — and now, in an unceremonious tweet, the Indian Army is claiming to have found evidence of the mythical Himalayan monster.
On Tuesday, the official, verified Twitter account of the Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information tweeted a picture of what it claimed were Yeti tracks in the snow.
“For the first time, an Indian Army mountaineering expedition team has sited (sic) mysterious footprints of mythical beast Yeti,” read the post, which was accompanied by three pictures of footprints, and a group photo that appeared to be of the expedition group.
The prints allegedly measured 32 inches by 15 inches (81 centimeters by 38 centimeters) and were spotted on April 9 close to Makalu Base Camp, an isolated mountainous area between Nepal and Tibet, the tweet elaborated. “This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past,” the post claimed.
Unsurprisingly, the tweet prompted a flurry of incredulous responses on social media, with many rebuking the Indian military for propagating theories previously debunked by science. Others poked fun at the tweet, with the hashtag #Yeti becoming one of the top Twitter trending topics in India on Tuesday.
The Indian Army provided no further evidence of its find and had not replied to CNN’s request for comment by time of publication.
In a press release on March 26, the Indian Army said an 18-strong unit would make its maiden expedition to Mount Makalu between March and May. The unit was heading there as part of its objective of reaching the summit of all challenging peaks above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet), the statement said.
In Nepali folklore the Yeti — dubbed the “Abominable Snowman” in the West — is a furry ape-like creature taller than an average human, which inhabits the Himalayas and other regions.
Their existence has been never been proven, but they have captured the imagination of many, including acclaimed British naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
The Indian Army doesn’t usually venture into matters of mysterious monsters — many of its tweets are more mundane, about former army members or public events.
While the latest claim has aroused excitement among Yeti-lovers on social media, it is at odds with scientific findings.
A 2017 study on the Himalayan “Yeti” used mitochondrial DNA sequencing to examine 24 “Yeti” samples including hair, bone, skin and feces. Charlotte Lindqvist and her team discovered that some of the items came from a Himalayan brown bear and a black bear. One tooth was from an animal in the dog family. The paw of the “Yeti” kept in a local monastery came from a black bear. Another bone kept as a monastic relic was from a Tibetan brown bear.
Other investigations reached similar conclusions. A study in 2014 found 30 hair samples believed to come from Yetis had actually originated from a variety of beasts such as a Paleolithic polar bear, other types of bear and dogs.
Kushal Prajapati, who describes himself as a scientist in his Twitter bio, responded to the Indian Army’s tweet on Tuesday, saying: “With all due respect, institutions such as yours should be more responsible and careful before going ahead and declaring the sighting of any footprints as ‘Yeti’s’!”
He added that there was a lot of research done on Yeti in the past, and none had proved the creature’s existence.
The Yeti became part of local traditions about 350 years ago, when a holy man named Sangwa Dorje took up residence in a cave near the remote village of Pangboche, which had a clear view of Everest. According to local folklore, he was said to have been aided by Yetis and to have kept relics from the beasts.
Yeti fever took off in the West after British explorer Eric Shipton snapped a picture west of Mount Everest in 1951 of what appeared to be a large primate-like footprint.
CNN’s Jen Christensen contributed to this story.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/30/asia/yeti-india-army-intl/index.html
Sources
- Hollingsworth, Julia, ‘Yeti’ footprints sighted claims Indian Army Tweet — and social media reacts, CNN, 30 April 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/30/asia/yeti-india-army-intl/index.html (accessed: 30 April 2019)
- ‘Yeti’ footprints discovered by Indian army mountaineers in Nepal’s snow-capped Himalayas, ABC News, 30 April 2019, https://amp.abc.net.au/article/11060180 (accessed: 30 April 2019)
- ‘Yeti footprints’: Indian army mocked over claim, BBC, 30 April 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48101717 (accessed: 30 April 2019)
- Indian Army mocked on Twitter for posting photos of “Yeti footprint”, CBS News, 30 April 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-army-tweet-yeti-footprint-photos-ridiculed-twitter-social-media/ (accessed: 30 April 2019)
- Walker, Amy, Indian army’s claim to have found footprints of yeti prompts ridicule, The Guardian, 30 April 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/30/indian-army-claim-found-footprints-yeti-sparks-ridicule (accessed: 30 April 2019)
For more interesting information:
- The Yeti/Bigfoot/Sasquatch category on my blog
- Five Must See Bigfoot Documentaries
- Finding Bigfoot
- The Man Who Created Bigfoot
- Dermal Ridges
- Bigfoot, cookies and Kechara | 野人、小甜饼和克切拉
- Bigfoot in Malaysia
- China’s Bigfoot
- Nepal is the land of spirituality, beauty and Mystery and the Yeti
- Monsters & Mysteries In Alaska..Sasquatch!
- I was in Willow Creek
- One of the most convincing eyewitness accounts of Bigfoot
- Interesting facts on Bigfoot (Yeren) sighting in China
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Wow……another Yeti or snowman were spotted at an isolated mountainous area between Nepal and Tibet. The Indian Army expedition team came across it recently with more evidence to proof that Yeti do exist after all. That’s wonderful . Many researchers , enthusiasts have been fascinated with the Yeti since there were numerous sightings over the centuries in many parts of the world. Countries like China, Mongolia, Russian, Canada, and so forth has confirmed , they too spotted Yeti or Bigfoot . But none have proved the creature’s existence. Over the past decades, Tibetans and even monks travelling through the Himalayan mountains have seen Bigfoot before. Wow …. The Indian Army mountaineering expedition team has found mysterious footprints of mythical beast Yeti, and had pictures of it. Not only one but had three pictures of footprints. They cannot be wrong as the whole group of Army team witnessed it. With this recent discovery, I hope more researchers and enthusiasts could come out with more pictures or hard evidence of the existence of yeti or snowman .
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
Photograph of Yeti footprint in Himalayas by Indian army May 2019
The International Mountain Museum in Pokhara, Nepal features a small yeti exhibition. Yeti sightings are so common amongst mountaineers and it is now confirmed by the Indian Army. It is no wonder that the museum decided to collect all the information on Yetis from Himalayan mountaineers and compile them into a short display.
The display shares the thoughts and beliefs of famous researchers and writers, as well as the stories and the remarks of the local people who had encountered Yetis. The visit is very educational and beneficial. It broadens our mind and makes us understand how much we do know.
There is an area near Lumbini, Nepal, they have sightings of Yeti for hundreds of years. So they have signages in the area with Yeti artwork to highlight this. Interesting. TR
Photos of footprints (Yeti) are from a high altitude pass (Darwa Pass) connecting Gangotri valley to Yamunotri valley through old pilgrim route.Also interesting Tin Tin comic with Yeti.