The Indian Army claimed on Monday that it had found existence of Yeti, the “mythical beast”. It apparently discovered “mysterious footprints” of the animal near the Makalu base camp in Nepal. Posting a few photographs on Twitter, the Army said its Mountaineering Expedition Team had found these Yeti footprints, measuring 32.15 inches, on April 9, 2019.

“For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast ‘Yeti’ measuring 32×15 inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019,” the Army tweeted. “This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past.”

The Army also posted a photograph of the team that spotted the “Yeti footprints”.

For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast ‘Yeti’ measuring 32×15 inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019. This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past. pic.twitter.com/AMD4MYIgV7

— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 29, 2019

The images shared in the tweet shows imprint of only one foot on the snow-covered base camp.

According to legends, Yetis are ape-like creature that roam in the Himalayan region. No one has ever spotted an actual Yeti till date, thought it’s part of many folklore and popular stories. A British explorer had coined the name, Yeti, after documenting similar footprints in Lhakpa La of Tibet.

The Yeti has since found references in literature, movies, music and games. The very popular Tintin in Tibet graphic novel is one of them.

Scientists have however always negated the possibility of such an animal’s existence. They have attributed all the “sightings” and “evidence” to other snow species such as mountain bears.

The Army’s post attracted a lot of traction on Twitter, with Yeti becoming one of the top trending topics. While many congratulated the Army, several users trolled them too.

“Congratulations, we are always proud of you. salutes to the #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team. But please, you are Indian, dont call Yeti as beast. Show respect for them. If you say he is a ‘snowman’,” BJP MP Tarun Vijay said while commenting on the Army tweet.