Yeti and Bigfoot

In October, 2008, Japanese climbers returning from a mountain in Nepal claimed to have found footprints of the Yeti.  The footprints were discovered on snow at an altitude of 15,748 feet, according to Kuniaki Yagihara of the Yeti Project Japan.  Although no one has actually seen it,  other climbers have also claimed to have found Yeti footprints.  Sherpas have long told of a large, ape-like creature inhabiting the Himilayas, sparking the imaginations of generations of climbers.

In the Himalayan Menlung Basin, climbers took a photo of a mysterious footprint in 1951.  It was rumored to belong to the Yeti.  Researchers think that there are two kinds of Yeti: the dzu-teh, which is seven to eight feet tall; and the nich-teh, which is five to six feet tall.  Even experts debate whether the Yeti exists.  Recently, wildlife expert Sir Richard Attenborough told the BBC that it is possible that the Yeti exists.  Attenborough said ,”Very, very convincing footprints have been found at 19,000-foot elevations.”

He added,”Nobody goes up to 19,000 feet just to make a joke.”

The Yeti, also known as the Abominable Snowman, has fired the imagination of the general public ever since reports of it began.  It has even invaded popular culture.  There have been movies like “The Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas” and “Snow Creature”.  Books, articles and even songs have been written about it.  A popular rock band calls itself “Yeti”. 

There is also a strong resemblance between the Yeti and Bigfoot, which has been sighted all over North America.  Bigfoot is mainly seen in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.  However, variations have been reported in Arkansas (Swamp Stalker) and Florida (Skunk Ape).  The Bigfoot legend goes back hundreds, maybe thousands of years.  Native Americans have long told of a big, hairy beast that they call Sasquatch and during the past forty years, there have been sightings and film footage of the creature.

I believe there is a strong possibility that a hitherto unknown species of ape exists in Asia and North America. It could be a left-over Neanderthal.  Or it could be the common ancestor of man and ape, sometimes referred to as the “missing link”.  Skeptics ask,”If the Bigfoot or Yeti exists, then where are the remains?”  Believers respond,”Very few remains of bears have been found, and yet we know they exist”.  It will probably be necessary to capture a Yeti to prove their existence.