The Yeti Factor The story of Yeti is as mysterious as the story of Bigfoot in North America and Mapinguari in the Amazon. The people of Tibet, along with the Sherpas of Nepal, have a firm belief in the Yeti. In Tibet, legend meets history, and it is sometimes impossible to differentiate between the two. For this reason, people have believed in the existence of the Yeti for centuries. The Yeti is often depicted in traditional paintings as a human-like creature with long, shaggy hair. Yetis are considered to be bigger and much stronger than humans.

The Yeti, as depicted in a traditional painting. Credit: Mahabir Pun

Yeti is a Sherpa word -- Yah means rock and Teh means animal. So, the literal meaning of Yeti is "a rock living animal". There are numerous folk stories among the people about the existence of Yeti.

The interesting fact to be noted is that nobody has ever seen a Yeti face to face. But there are other bizarre incidents that have led people to believe that the Yeti is more than just a legend in folk stories. On occasions, mountaineers have reported hearing high-pitched whistles and strange footprints on the ground. Several scientific expeditions have been organized and people have tried to discover the Yeti, but to no avail. The existence of the Yeti has yet to be proven.

Some famous mountaineers like Eric Shipton, Frank Smythe and John Hunt have reported seeing big footprints like those of humans in the high mountains. Others, like Col. C.K. Howard and Don Whillans, have even claimed the sighting of dark, human- like figures in the Himalayas.

Sunset in Tibet Credit: Matjaz Vrecko

The following is an oft-heard folk story in the villages of the Everest region, both on the southern frontiers of Tibet and among the Sherpas of Nepal. According to the story, a Yeti once attacked a Sherpa village girl while she was grazing her yaks in 1974. The villagers found several yaks killed with broken necks. The villagers believed the story told by the girl that an ape-like creature had twisted the neck of the yaks by grabbing the horns.

Be that as it may, many people still believe that the Yeti exists. It is for the future to tell whether the Yeti really exists or is merely a legendary character.