The Indian Army has sparked a wave of humor and skepticism with a tweet claiming to have found evidence of the elusive yeti. The tweet, posted on April 29, stated that an Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition Team had discovered “Mysterious Footprints of the mythical beast ‘Yeti'” measuring 32×15 inches near the Makalu Base Camp on April 9, 2019. The army’s tweet suggested that this was the first-ever sighting of the creature, and they planned to turn over the evidence to subject matter experts.
While the Indian Army’s tweet was made in a seemingly serious manner, it didn’t take long for Twitter users to respond with humor and skepticism. Many shared funny GIFs and mocked the post, highlighting the mythical nature of the yeti and the lack of concrete evidence.
The legend of the yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman, has its origins in the Himalayan region. The term “Abominable Snowman” was coined in 1921 by a British journalist who mistranslated a local term referring to a “man-bear snow-man.” Despite occasional sightings and claims, there has been no conclusive evidence to prove the existence of the yeti. Past “evidence” has often turned out to be misidentified or belonging to other animals, like bears or dogs.
In this case, the pictures posted by the Indian Army show a series of indistinct impressions in the snow, lacking clear features like claw or toe marks. The authenticity of these footprints as evidence of the yeti remains highly questionable, adding to the long history of unverified yeti sightings.