Indian Army says they found evidence of the Yeti

Frank Carnevale
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 12:46 p.m. | Tuesday, April 30, 2019 12:46 p.m.

Getty Images

In this handout photo taken by the Indian Army on April 9, 2019, Indian men measure large foot prints in the snow, sighted by the Indian Army, near the Makalu Base Camp in the North-Eastern Himalayas. - Pictures of a “Yeti footprint” the Indian Army posted on social media have triggered a barage of mockery. “For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast ‘Yeti’,” a tweet on the army’s official account said on April 29, alongside three images of prints in the snow.

Getty Images

In this handout photo taken by the Indian Army on April 9, 2019, large foot prints are seen in the snow, sighted by the Indian Army, near the Makalu Base Camp in the North-Eastern Himalayas. - Pictures of a “Yeti footprint” the Indian Army posted on social media have triggered a barage of mockery. “For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast ‘Yeti’,” a tweet on the army’s official account said on April 29, alongside three images of prints in the snow.

The Indian Army believes they found evidence of the mysterious — and mythical — Yeti in the Himalayas.

The army posted to its official Twitter account on Monday, “For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast ‘Yeti’ measuring 32x15 inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019. This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past.”

For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast 'Yeti' measuring 32x15 inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019. This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past. pic.twitter.com/AMD4MYIgV7

— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 29, 2019

The photos released by the army show large foot prints, measuring 32 by 15 inches, in the snow. The photos were taken near the Makalu Base Camp on the border of Nepal and Tibet in the North-Eastern Himalayas.

The Yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is an ape-like creature of legend that roams the snowy Himalayas, as well as Siberia, and Central and East Asia.

The post was meant with lots of skepticism and mockery online.

Can there possibly be a simpler explanation? pic.twitter.com/fqIuV0Q9Ri

— Siddharth Singh (@siddharth3) April 29, 2019

Either I’m missing the joke, or the Indian Army is claiming that it’s found what it believes is evidence of a literal yeti. ??‍♂️ https://t.co/dTai7OFTBu

— Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) April 29, 2019

One user provided this explanation:

With all due respect to everyone, what we call Yeti is with all probability either the Himalayan Brown Bear or Tibetean Blue Bear. Both are endangered, can grow over 7 feet and are bipedal. The single foot print forms when the bear walks on 4 feet.

— Kunal ?? (@RunMUFC) April 30, 2019

Frank Carnevale is the TribLive multimedia editor. He started at the Trib in 2016 and has been part of several news organizations, including the Providence Journal and Orlando Sentinel. He can be reached at fcarnevale@triblive.com.