Indian Army says expedition team saw 'Yeti' footprints, shares evidence
On Monday, Indian Army tweeted an expedition team came across footprints of Yeti, a mythical apelike beast, in the icy heights of Himalayas and also shared pictures for proof. They revealed that the footprints, measuring 32 * 15 inches, were spotted near Makalu base camp in Nepal on April 9, 2019. The tweet invited several questions and memes on Twitter. Here's what went down.
The images appeared to be of single foot
What is a Yeti?
Yeti is a terrifying, giant-like snowman who has largely remained elusive. Its legend dates back to 1920s and is largely popular in Nepalese folklore. The name "Yeti" was coined by a British explorer who saw similar footprints at Lhakpa La of Tibet. Other names used for Yeti include Meh-Teh (man-bear) and Kang-mi (snowman). However, scientists have repeatedly debunked theories and called Yeti mythical creature.
Scientists didn't find much evidence about Yeti
In 2017, scientists analyzed nine bone, tooth, skin, hair and fecal samples, from museums to understand Yeti. They concluded that eight of the samples belonged to Asian black bears, Himalayan brown bears, and one to a dog. "Our findings strongly suggest that the biological underpinnings of the Yeti legend can be found in local bears," Charlotte Lindqvist, who led the research, said at the time.
Lindqvist called her research most extensive one
Lindqvist had called her research the most extensive one, considering specimen, attributed to Yeti's, were used for it. "The yeti legend represented some strange, hybrid bear roaming the Himalaya mountains," she added.
Subsequently, Twitter had a field day
While the Indian Army seemed happy with its expedition team's work, Twitter users weren't pleased. Especially after BJP leader, Tarun Vijay advised the Army to use respect while referring to Yeti. "Please, you are Indian, don't call Yeti as beast. Show respect for them. If you say he is a 'snowman' (sic)," Vijay tweeted. Soon, people made fun of Vijay's response.
"How do you know it's a snowman?"
One foot of 'Yeti' raised many questions
Meanwhile, Twitter user @_IC1101_ wrote: Just look at those pics for heaven's sake. That's not a bipedal. Couldn't you guys call a single animal expert before posting this? Separately, another Twitter user wrote: Don't want to sound anti-national, but I do think the Yeti might be accustomed to walking on a ramp. Notably, the Indian Army also reminded many of Tintin comics.
