Amazing Abominable Snowman Name, What It Looks Like And Where It Is!

Joan Agie
Oct 27, 2023 By Joan Agie
Originally Published on Nov 26, 2021
Toys of happy monsters

The abominable snowman or yeti is one of the most mysterious creatures to exist.

It is often compared to bigfoot. Yetis are most commonly said to inhabit Asia, mainly in Bhutan, the high Himalayas, and Nepal.

Many cryptozoology scientists have studied yetis. Cryptozoologists study animals that they believe are somewhere out there in the wild, but mainstream scientists refute such claims.

Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience that aims to prove that folklore creatures such as bigfoot or the Loch ness monster do exist in the wild. Yetis are often compared to bigfoot, brown bears, polar bears, and tree bears.

If you are enjoying our article full of yeti facts, then why not check some other fun facts articles about Norway and Antarctica here on Kidadl.

What was Abominable Snowman known as?

The abominable snowman, most commonly known as the yeti, is said to inhabit mountains peaks in Asia, like in the Himalayan region. A bunch of expeditions has been made to the mountains in search of a yeti, but no definitive evidence has been found that proves the existence of such a creature.

The yeti is known by a number of names by locals in other languages. Some examples are Michê in Tibetan meaning 'man-bear', Dzu-the in Himalayan meaning 'cattle bear' and referring to the Himalayan brown bear, Bun manchi in Nepali meaning 'jungle man', Xueren in Chinese meaning 'snow man', and more.

In his book, Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Howard Bury found large footprints in the snow, which his Sherpa guide thought belonged to 'The wild man of the snows'. Howard-Bury gave the creature the name 'metoh-kangmi'. 'Metoh' translating to 'man-bear' and 'kangmi' translating to 'snowman'.

In the television show 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer', the abominable snow monster of the North was known as Bumble! Bumble was the sole antagonist of the series.

History of the Yeti

The yeti is a mysterious bipedal creature that has been glorified in local folklore. Alexander the Great once demanded to see a yeti, but the locals explained that the creature could not survive outside extreme temperatures.

The first-ever encounter with a yeti dates back to 1921, with Charles Howard Bury. He found footsteps in the snow and later came to hear from the locals of Nepal that there were always rumors about a large, hairy man that lived in the 'wildest and the most inaccessible mountains'.

In 1951, Eric Shipton, an English Himalayan explorer, caught some footprints on camera that showed a thumb-like impression instead of a toe. This was believed to be a yeti footprint.

In 1960, Sir Edmund Hilary brought back a scalp of a creature that he thought was a Yeti's scalp but was later proven to be a serow. In 2010, some Chinese hunters caught a hairless, four-legged animal that they thought was a yeti, but it was later proven to be a civet that was suffering from some disease.

In 2011, some researchers found a finger that they speculated belonged to a yeti, but when they performed a DNA test, it turned out to be a human finger. The legend of the yeti was so popular by this point that, in 2013, National Geographic released a documentary on the legend of the yeti in the Himalayas!

The Russian Search For A Yeti

In 2011, the Russian government took great interest in the abominable snow monster and decided to have a conference in Siberia on the topic. On his Russian expedition, one scientist, John Bindernagel, claimed that he had seen a yeti and said that yetis build nests and shelters out of twisted tree branches.

As a clump of grey hairs was found near a moss cave around this time, 95% of the people completely believed Bindernagel and said that this was 'indisputable evidence'.

Jeff Meldrum, a professor of anatomy and an anthropologist, believed that the 'indisputable evidence' was fake and decided to prove it. He argued that the nest was too conveniently placed near the community and not in a remote area as a yeti would prefer.

He also pushed the fact that the branches looked like they were cut with a tool. Also, the timing of the sighting was convenient, considering the sight was an impoverished coal-mining town.

Meldrum believed that the whole story about the yeti sighting was a big hoax for attracting tourists and adding to the revenue of the town.

How does a yeti sound?

There is no actual evidence that yetis exist, but people have made many speculations as to what it would sound like.

No one has actually heard a yeti, but many people believe that the beast has a loud growling sound like a lion or a bear, fitting its huge body and large figure. Some people believe it howls like a wolf at night.

Others believe that it would have a different and unique sound like the sirens or other imaginary figures.

In 1964, the Rankin or Bass television special, 'Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer', featured a large white-haired creature with a hairless blue face, arms, lips, and legs. In the original series, however, this creature was Bumble, the abominable snow monster of the North, who lived in the mountain and was the sole antagonist of the story.

Bumble is always portrayed to be roaring loudly in the series.

How big is a yeti?

The abominable snow monster species has greyish-white or reddish-brown hair, with very large feet similar to sasquatch (more commonly known as bigfoot). It is often confused with bears, polar bears, tree bears, other animals, and even with human beings at times.

In 'Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer', the television series, Bumble the yeti was always characterized as a giant, hairy monster that was larger than the red-nosed reindeer, elves, and even human beings in the cartoon world.

Since no one in the world has actually seen a yeti, people have made estimates regarding the size of the mountain man. The abominable snow monster is said to weigh around 200-400 lbs (91 to 181 kgs)! It is actually relatively smaller than bigfoot despite their similarities.

A yeti is only around 6 ft (1.8m) long, whereas bigfoot is around 15 ft (4.5m) tall! The yeti is as tall as bears. The feet of a Yeti are estimated to be around 32 in (81.2 cm) in length.

Though there is no solid evidence in history that proves the existence of yetis in the world, cryptozoologists continue to search relentlessly for the mythical being. Maybe the yeti is still out there, waiting to be discovered.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our article about the abominable snowman name, then why not take a look at Aztec mythical creatures, or what causes snow?

Main Image Editorial credit: phol_66 / Shutterstock.com

Second Image Editorial credit: irishe4kaaa / Shutterstock.com
 

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Written by Joan Agie

Bachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

Joan Agie picture

Joan AgieBachelor of Science specializing in Human Anatomy

With 3+ years of research and content writing experience across several niches, especially on education, technology, and business topics. Joan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Anatomy from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and has worked as a researcher and writer for organizations across Nigeria, the US, the UK, and Germany. Joan enjoys meditation, watching movies, and learning new languages in her free time.

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