For centuries, the people of the high Himalaya have told stories of the yeti, a mysterious creature of the snows. In the 20th century, climbers' tales and blurry footprints turned it into an international legend: the "abominable snowman". But is it real?
Quick answer: there is no scientific evidence that the yeti exists. A 2017 DNA study of nine supposed yeti samples, including bone, skin, hair and droppings, found that eight came from Asian black bears and Himalayan or Tibetan brown bears, and one from a dog. The yeti remains a fascinating part of Himalayan culture.
The legend
In Sherpa and Tibetan folklore, the yeti (or "meh-teh") is a wild creature of the mountains, sometimes dangerous, sometimes a bad omen. Stories were told to warn children away from the high forests and glaciers.
Footprints and expeditions
Western interest exploded in the 1950s, when mountaineers photographed large footprints in the snow near Everest. Expeditions searched the Himalaya for evidence, and a "yeti scalp" kept as a relic at the monastery in Khumjung became famous; it was later shown to be made from the hide of a serow, a goat-like mountain animal.
What science says
In 2017, a team led by biologist Charlotte Lindqvist analysed nine "yeti" specimens from museums and private collections. Eight turned out to be from bears and one from a dog. The researchers concluded that the yeti legend is probably rooted in Himalayan bears, which can walk on their hind legs and leave large tracks.
The yeti today
The yeti is everywhere in Nepal: on beer labels, souvenirs and the name of an airline and a famous hotel. Trekkers in the Everest region can still visit Khumjung, and you may hear yeti stories around the lodge stove. See our Everest Base Camp guide.
A timeline of the yeti
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| Centuries ago | Sherpa, Tibetan and Lepcha stories describe wild creatures of the high mountains |
| 1921 | A British Everest reconnaissance reports tracks; a newspaper's mistranslation creates the term "abominable snowman" |
| 1951 | Eric Shipton photographs a large footprint near the Menlung Glacier, west of Everest; the picture becomes famous worldwide |
| 1954 | The Daily Mail sponsors a "Snowman Expedition" to search for the yeti |
| 1960–61 | Edmund Hillary's expedition borrows the Khumjung "yeti scalp" for examination; it is identified as serow hide |
| 1998 | Reinhold Messner publishes his conclusion that the yeti legend is based on the Tibetan brown bear |
| 2014 | A DNA study suggests some hairs come from an unusual bear; later work disputes the details |
| 2017 | A larger DNA study finds that "yeti" samples come from bears and a dog |
The names of the yeti
The word yeti probably comes from the Sherpa or Tibetan yeh-teh or meh-teh, often translated as "rock bear" or "man-bear". Sherpas traditionally distinguish several types of wild creature. Some stories describe a large, dangerous animal that kills yaks; others a smaller, man-like creature. In Tibetan, the wild man is sometimes called migoi. In English, the 1921 phrase "abominable snowman" stuck, though it was based on a loose translation.
The Khumjung scalp and the Pangboche hand
Two famous relics were kept in Khumbu monasteries. The Khumjung scalp, a conical, hairy object, was shown to visitors for decades. Hillary's 1960–61 expedition was allowed to take it abroad for study, accompanied by a village elder, and scientists concluded it had been moulded from the skin of a serow. It is still kept in Khumjung. The Pangboche hand, a mummified hand kept in Pangboche monastery, attracted similar interest; parts of it were taken for testing in the 1950s, and much of it was stolen in 1991. Later DNA testing of a fragment suggested it was human.
Why bears explain so much
The Himalayan brown bear and the Asian black bear live in the high valleys and forests of the Himalaya. Both can stand and walk short distances on their hind legs. When a bear walks, its hind foot often lands in the print of its front foot, creating a long track that looks like a giant human footprint, especially once the sun has melted and enlarged it in the snow. Bears are shy and mostly active at night, so people rarely see them clearly. Add the fear and wonder of the high mountains, and it is easy to see how the legend grew.
The yeti in Sherpa culture
For Sherpas, the yeti is part of a wider world of spirits, gods and creatures in the mountains. Masked dances at festivals such as Mani Rimdu include wild and fearsome characters, and paintings of yetis appear in some monasteries. Older Sherpas sometimes tell stories of yetis stealing yaks or crops. Whether or not they believe in the creature, the yeti remains part of local identity. See Sherpa culture.
Yeti spotting for trekkers
You won't see a yeti, but you can follow its story on an Everest trek. Visit Khumjung, a short walk from Namche Bazaar, to see the scalp at the monastery (a donation is expected), and stop at Pangboche, the oldest monastery in the Khumbu. Ask your guide and lodge owners about yeti stories: everyone has one. Keep an eye out for real wildlife too: Himalayan tahr, musk deer and the colourful danphe pheasant are common, and snow leopards live in the high valleys, though they are very rarely seen.
The yeti in popular culture
- Hergé's Tintin in Tibet (1960) features a kind-hearted yeti.
- The yeti appears in films, cartoons and games from Monsters, Inc. to Smallfoot.
- In Nepal, the yeti gives its name to Yeti Airlines, the Hotel Yak & Yeti in Kathmandu, beers, trekking companies and countless souvenirs.
- In 2019, the Indian Army posted photos of large footprints near Makalu Base Camp, claiming them as yeti tracks; experts said they were most likely bear tracks.
Famous yeti sightings and stories
Over the years, many climbers and travellers have reported strange encounters. In 1925, a Greek photographer working with a British survey in Sikkim described seeing a figure walking upright near a glacier. In 1951, Eric Shipton and Michael Ward photographed the footprint that made the yeti famous, during an exploration of the Gauri Shankar area. In 1986, a trekker in the Garhwal Himalaya photographed a distant dark figure that he believed was a yeti; later analysis suggested it was a rock. Reinhold Messner described a night-time encounter in Tibet in 1986, which led him to spend years researching the legend before concluding that the creature was a bear. In each case, the evidence was tantalising but never conclusive.
The yeti and conservation
The search for the yeti has had one unexpected benefit: it has encouraged research into the real animals of the high Himalaya. Studies of bears, snow leopards and other wildlife have grown out of yeti expeditions, and scientists who analysed yeti samples have learned more about the history and genetics of Himalayan bears, which are themselves rare and threatened. Protecting the habitats of these bears, through national parks such as Sagarmatha National Park and the Makalu Barun National Park, protects the real animals behind the legend.
Places in Nepal linked to the yeti
- Khumjung: home of the famous "yeti scalp" in its monastery.
- Pangboche: the oldest monastery in the Khumbu, once home to the "Pangboche hand".
- Rolwaling Valley: a remote valley west of Everest with strong yeti legends.
- Makalu-Barun: a wild, forested region where many expeditions have searched for yetis.
So, is the yeti real?
As an animal, almost certainly not: every physical sample tested so far has turned out to come from a known creature, usually a bear. As a story, the yeti is very real. It has lived in Sherpa and Tibetan culture for centuries, inspired generations of explorers, and still adds a little mystery to every trek in the high Himalaya. Sitting by the stove in a Khumbu lodge, listening to a yeti story from your guide, it is easy to understand why the legend has lasted so long, and why many people would still like to believe.