Much to the dismay of social media followers around the world, the Indian Army wrote on Twitter Tuesday that it found the Yeti.
“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,” the Indian Army wrote on Twitter.
The “Yeti”, known in North America as “Bigfoot”, is a mythical creature often described as ape-like and larger than a human, and living in the Himalayas.
The Indian Army said that the “elusive snowman” had only been seen at the Makalu-Barun National Park in the past, referring to large footprints reported by a British explorer on the West side of Mount Everest in 1951.
Previous theories of “Yeti” footprints have been debunked, often using DNA samples to link tracks to brown bears in the region, and experts say that sun and wind in the Himalayas can cause tracks in the snow to become enlarged.
Many Indian Twitter users responded to the army’s tweet negatively, indicating disappointment that their military would promote something they found to be ludicrous. But others saw the tweet as an opportunity for some comic relief.
The announcement from the Indian army comes as the world’s largest democracy is holding muti-phase national elections, prompting some Indians online to muse that perhaps the mythical beast had emerged to cast his ballot.
While some commentators suggested that the tracks were laid by a large bear, others noted that by looking at the photos posted by the Indian army, the “footprints” appear to only be from one “leg”.
