Not So Abominable After All

[Ursa major]

New DNA research may have finally solved the mystery of the yeti. Tests on hair samples found a genetic match with an ancient polar bear, and scientists believe there could be a subspecies of brown bear in the high Himalayas that has been mistaken for the mythical beast.

The yeti, also known as the abominable snowman or bigfoot, has been recorded for centuries in the Himalayas. Local people and mountaineers claim to have come face-to-face with hairy, ape-like creatures.

From 'Yeti' DNA matches ancient polar bear, scientists find | Science | theguardian.com.


Something I've not seen reported before (but you may have):

[Sykes] uncovered an image in a 300-year-old Tibetan manuscript of a "chemo" – another local name for the yeti – with text alongside it which was translated to read: "The yeti is a variety of bear living in inhospitable mountainous areas."

 

[Velocius quam lucem]

I suppose the proof of this unusual "subspecies" is even harder to find because if you walk up to one one these creatures and try to rip off its mask thinking that you will expose the hoax, you wouldn't live to tell about it.

 

[Ursa major]

* Wonders whether a grizzly end would be any worse than an abominable one. *


I've just noticed on Wiktionary that an obsolete spelling of 'abominable' is 'abhominable'; 'ab-' means 'outside of'. (Those speakers of obsolete English were obviously on to something with regard to the abhominable snowman. )

 

[Bowler1]

So the Yeti is a bear. I can't help wondering Ursa, if you know something we don't?