The Indian Army is under fire, on Twitter at least, for sharing photos purportedly of ‘Yeti’ tracks seen by an 18-strong unit undertaking a grueling mission through the Himalayas earlier this month.
The army’s mountaineering expedition to Mount Makalu lasts between March and May with the objective of reaching all peaks above 8,000 meters, but nothing could have prepared the troops for a possible sighting of the “abominable” snowman.
The prints, which allegedly measured 32 inches by 15 inches (81cm by 38cm), were spotted on April 9 at Makalu Base Camp in the Nepalese Himalayas.
The army responded to some of the criticism by saying it was “prudent to excite scientific temper and rekindle the interest.” The tracks were “photographed and handed over to subject matter experts” for examination, it added.
The Yeti also features in traditional Nepalese folklore. In 1950, the Nepalese government reportedly even issued a hunting license for the Yeti.