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Track Facts: Discovery of Yeti Tracks Improbable
December 4, 2007 |
Josh Gates, host of “Destination Truth” on the Sci Fi channel, claims that his camera crew found prints of the legendary Yeti in the Himalaya of Nepal on November 28th. According to Gates, the crew managed to lift 3 plasters, 2 of which were partial, from “rock and sand.” Having read Matthiessen’s “The Snow Leopard” while traveling through the Himalaya 3 years ago, I have since subscribed to the belief that an enigmatic creature exists there.
The cultural history of the area, the extreme terrain, and consistent, documented encounters are not all for naught, in my opinion. Gate’s report, however, smacks of publicity-mongering. Ang Tshering, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, spoke with the crew and remained skeptical, noting that it was probably a Himalayan black bear, and that traditional legend holds the Yeti has 4 toes.
Let us examine the track facts, which is all we have: 3 were made in rocky soil on the bank of the Manju river, only one of which yielded a complete cast, seen above. There were no other tracks or sign left in the area, indeed nothing except these tracks that “were relatively fresh, left some 24 hours before we found them.”
Gates, unfamiliar with the area and not a tracking expert, is quite comfortable making assessments in a medium that is difficult, dynamic, and unreliable. Gate’s appearances in “Ghost Hunters,” “Destination Truth,” and other sensational media do not lend the actor much credibility, either. Is the Yeti cool? Yes. Does the Yeti exist? Maybe. Did Josh Gates discover Yeti tracks? Doubtful.
Comments
1 Comment so far
I agree that there is a possibility Yeti’s exist but I doubt that’s it. I’d need a lot more proof than a footprint.
Dagny
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