Alma and Yeti

In the forests and plains of Siberia and China and in the mountains of the Himalayas, live two races of mysterious hairy wild people. Called "Alma" by the Chinese and Soviets and "Yeti" by the Nepalese and Tibetans, these creatures average five feet in height and are covered from head to toe by a coarse hair -- silver and white in the mountainous regions, and orange and brown in the forests. These creatures are seen only at random, and the evidence for their existence is mostly hair samples, footprints, and vague sightings. Scientists believe the Alma and Yeti are surviving ancestors of our own species; but until specimens are caught, living or dead, final proof is missing.

There is much disagreement on both what the word 'Yeti' means, and where the name 'Abominable Snowman' -- the common Western and European name for the beasts -- came from (there doesn't appear to be any explaination of the word 'Alma' yet). According to Sir Edmund Hillary in his article in the 1961 World Book Encyclopedia, 'Yeti' is believed to have originally meant "all-devouring creature"; however, according to Jenny Randles in her book Strange & Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th Century, the word is from the Sherpa Yeh-teh meaning 'rock thing.'

As for the title 'Abominable Snowman', in Stranger Than Science Frank Edwards asserts that it is said to either be from a translation of the word 'Yeti', or a translation of the Tibetan name for the creatures, metoh kangmi; but the authors of the Webster's Third New International Dictionary feel the phrase is a mistranslation of the Tibetan 'mi-te', or 'man-bear'. While Jenny Randles states that it comes from a mistranslation of a Tibetan phrase that actually translates as 'manlike creature that is not a man.'

As for the legend itself, there is only a little variation. According to Strange & Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th Century, the Yeti is said to have a horrible scent and white or gray hair, though most other sources describe these creatures as having dark hair.

The main evidence of the Yeti and Alma's existence falls into three categories: footprints, sightings, and scalps and hair. More unusual are the claims of actual contact with or capture of one the beasts; the evidence remains physically unconfirmable in all such cases to date.

According to an article written by Sir Edmund Hillary for the World Book Encyclopedia of 1961, the first footprints believed to belong to the creatures were found in the 1890's, though it is important to note that no more is said about this incident than that. Other sources give 1832 as the earliest known date for British acknowledgment of the legend, when B.H. Hodson, the Court of Nepal's first British Resident, reported that his native hunters had been frightened by a 'wild man' that "moved erectly, was covered in long, dark hair, and had no tail."

According to Stranger Than Science, there were many expeditions formed specifically for the purpose of finding the Yeti that came back empty-handed; though the truth is more likely that more expeditions were to map the area of the Himalayas, with a search for the Yeti as a secondary task. The constant failure of Europeans and Americans to locate a specimen of either a Yeti or an Alma when they want one has lead to more than a few skeptics on the subject, quick to find fault with existing evidence.

The footprints are an especially favorite target, as they are the most common physical evidence of the Yeti's existence. In 1958, anthropologist John Hopkins is said to have declared that the prints were merely the tracks of Sherpas whose toes protruded from their sandals; later, an unnamed scientist with the World Book Expedition to find the Yeti in 1960 attributed the footprints to the paw prints of bears and other large animals, melted by the sun into a larger size; but Eric Shipton shows common sense (in his book The Six Mountains-Travel Books) when he points out that native Sherpas are familiar with the tracks of monkeys and bears in the snow, fresh and melted, and unlikely to mistake them for something else.

According to Strange & Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th Century, the scalps and hair said to belong to the Yeti by the Sherpas have generally turned out to be from somewhat more common and better known animals; namely, a goat called a southern serow. Strange Stories, Amazing Facts tells of a Yeti scalp that was found in a village in Nepal, but later was analyzed as being skin and hair too similar to a Nepalese goat. Some scientists have even suggested that the "Yetis" are all just hallucinations induced by the lack of oxygen at the high altitudes in the Himalayas, an argument that doesn't explain away the reports of Almas from lowland areas.

Despite the general scientific pessimism about the Yeti and the Alma, many people still believe in these creatures' existence. Theories about them include the belief that these and other legendary hairy wildmen (the Sasquatch or Bigfoot in the United States, and the Yowie in Australia) are survivals of a more primitive form of man; the popular choices are either Neanderthals or Gigantopithecus.

Gigantopithecus is an ancestor of the giant ape, first identified in the fossil record by Dutch paleontologist Ralph von Koenigswald (or von Koenigwald) when he found a tooth in a Chinese apothecary shop* in 1934 that he believed belonged to a giant ape tall that lived around half a million years ago. In 1954, Dutch zoologist Bernard Huevelmans put forward in a series of articles published in Paris the theory that Gigantopithecus, unable to compete with anatomically modern humans, took to remote mountainous regions to survive and that it is a modern descendant of the huge ape-like creatures that are now called Yeti. Unfortunately for this theory, Gigantopithecus doesn't match the average reported height of Yetis'; Yetis average five feet tall, while the Gigantopithecus theoretically averages eight to ten feet (if it stands erect, which it may not). *In China, ground-up fossils are considered a medicine for many ailments.

The other favorite candidate for a surviving human ancestor, Neanderthals, are physically closer to the description given of the Alma and Yeti than Gigantopithecus is, averaging a height of about five feet; but they have only been found in the fossil record in western Europe, never in Asia, and are believed to have been as hairless as modern humans.

Perhaps more damning to both of these theories is that neither of these early homonids are found in recent fossil records; Neanderthals cease to be found in the record at about 40,000 B.C. and Gigantopithecus vanish at 1.5 million B.C.. If either survived, some evidence sould have been found by now; and until some is, the Almas and Yetis remain as unproven and as unexplained as ever.


Link to view a list of reported sightings od both the Alma and Yeti - anomalyinfo.com...

even in malaysia also there is report about this kind of creature it nearly same as bigfoot,the local call it
orang hutan not same as the orang utan where this creature same as chimpanzie,only the `H` is the different.but this orang hutan very shy if encounter with local people and always ran or hide.
it is very strange it height from 6 to 10 feet
face appearance same as gorilla.
foot print 6 inch to 12 inch.
where do this kind of creature come from???

Perhaps the reason for the lack of neanderthal in the fossil record is that they were pushed into mountains and forests by humans. I think that it would be very intriguing if bigfoot turned out to be a neanderthal descendent, a great way to study human evolution. What if the American bigfoot turned out to be tribes of Native americans that escaped westerners and other native americans by fleeing into the woods. They wouldnt probably bathe or cut their hair, but would have a great knowledge of the woods. There are reports that some of the indians discovered by desoto were very large in stature. This would explain the great quantities of hair and stench, as well as great height.

XaoS

p.s. the mongolians call bigfoot almas too.

Below are some recent reported sightings of a Bigfoot type creature seen here in Northumberland. Bolam Lake is only 15 miles from where I live.

Eight-Foot Yeti Sighting?

Friday, January 24 2003

Pike fishermen in Northumberland claim to have spotted a huge ape-like monster after a day on Bolam Lake. Yeti experts say they too have seen the beast, although no-one is quite sure what it is.

An eight-foot howling yeti, with shining eyes and huge white teeth, has been seen prowling the woodland around Bolam Lake in Northumberland.

Experts rushed to the area, intent on proving the sightings to be an elaborate hoax, but were shocked to come face to face with the 'Bigfoot' themselves.

Jon Downes, Director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology, who travels the world to track mystical beasts, spoke to pike fishermen who had been left terrified from the sighting. He set up camp in the area for five days and was on the verge of going home, when one of his helpers heard rustling in the woods.

He told the Morpeth Herald: 'I shouted for our driver to put the headlights on and I saw something standing, much taller than me and moving along quickly indeed.'

Anna Kuhni, a clairvoyant for the Twilight World's Paranormal Society, also claims to have seen something strange, using a native American tracking technique. She described her vision as a 'huge, black manifestation', although she is not convinced it is a living creature.

'It could well be something more spiritual and I do know that there is an Iron Age fort at Bolam and that could be connected to those sightings,' she said.

However, tales of yetis and wild beasts have done nothing but boost the visitor numbers at Bolam Lake. Amateur yeti-hunters have doubled the seasonal figures as locals hope to spy the ape-like monster.

It is not the first time the region has attracted weird beasties. Local folklore tells of the Deugar, a fearsome, cave-dwelling freak, which stalked the nearby valley of Coquetdale. The yeti-like creature allegedly lured walkers to their doom before roasting their corpses over a peat fire.

Link - www.countrylife.co.uk...


I've seen the Beast of Bolam, says hunt man

Jan 23 2003

Strange sightings of a giant man-ape have been backed up by monster hunters in Northumberland.

Professional yeti-hunters armed with thousands of pounds' worth of gadgets have homed in on Bolam Lake near Belsay after a string of encounters late at night.

The four-man investigation team from the Exeter-based Centre for Fortean Zoology have returned to base after their week-long mission to investigate reports of a yeti-like creature roaming through the woods.

Team leader Jonathan Downes said: "The expedition was a success beyond our wildest dreams. The most exciting thing was that five people I interviewed had seen the beast at the same time - I was one of those people."

Mr Downes said: "What I saw was a dark, man-shaped object approximately seven-and-a-half feet tall.

"It had a barrel chest and thick muscular arms and legs. I had a very clear sighting but I saw no glowing eyes and wasn't able to tell whether or not it was covered in hair."

But the Bolam Lake Bigfoot is only the latest in a diary of sinister sightings of strange beasts that have baffled North East folk down the ages.

In 1972, neighbours in Hexham, Northumberland, were scared out of their wits by a chain of events triggered when two young brothers unearthed two small carved stone Celtic heads while weeding.

They took the small heads, which resembled a man and a witch, indoors, and suddenly household objects began smashing, apparently by themselves.

Most terrifyingly of all, their next-door neighbours were woken each night by a 6ft half-man, half-wolf which appeared on their landing and ran off down the stairs. Several times they found their front door wide open and the sound of panting and padding footsteps were heard.

A doctor in Celtic culture who believed the stones were 1,800 years' old took the heads to Southampton, where she woke feeling cold and frightened to see the same creature. She followed it outside, but it disappeared towards the back of the house.

The Hexham heads passed into the hands of other collectors who reported no werewolf problems - but no one knows where they are now.

In 2000, locals living near Alnmouth in Northumberland began talking of a spate of mysterious UFO sightings. Rumours that new military hardware was being tested by nearby RAF Boulmer were ruled out because it was a no-fly base.

As well as apes, wolfmen and UFOs, police have had reports of numerous sightings of big cats prowling the North East countryside. The so-called Durham puma, possibly a wild animal turned loose to fend for itself, has been spotted in areas ranging from Derwentside to Northumberland, while a similar Blanchland beast has also been reported. In September 2001 an attack in Northumberland on a flock of sheep - five of which were killed - sparked fears that a puma was on the loose.

Durham Police's wildlife liaison officer, Sgt Eddie Bell, who has been investigating reports of the puma for more than a decade, believes up to a dozen could be living in the North's countryside.

Link - icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk...



We ain't seen nothing Yeti

Monster mania is set to sweep a country park when a team of hunters begin their search for Northumberland's own yeti.

Experts in the unknown are arming themselves with infra- red night-sight and high-tec recording equipment in a bid to prove the Belsay Bigfoot exists.

Last week two anglers claimed they had been confronted by a tall hairy creature with glowing eyes in woodland at Bolam Lake on a late-night fishing trip.

Jonathan Downes, head of the Centre for Fortean Zoology in Exeter, has arrived with his team to get to the bottom of the mystery and says their electro-magnetic frequency devices will read changes in temperature and frequency to alert them if a hulking hairy primate is close by.

But Mr Downes, who has spent 10 years hunting for strange unknown creatures, is not convinced that a yeti has been found in the North East.

He said: "Our job is to find out the truth, whatever that is. We're totally impartial. We don't have a preconceived idea of what we're looking for. Nine times out of 10, sightings turn out to be something quite ordinary, but if we've solved that mystery for future generations I'll be happy."

"I'm absolutely convinced the yeti exists - but not here. I think people would've found it by now. People who say they've seen the yeti here are like people who claim Elvis is still alive and working in Sainsbury's."

Team-mate Richard Freeman said: "There's no doubt that there are flesh and blood creatures still undiscovered."

Mr Freeman, who says he was inspired by the 1970s Doctor Who series, is a crypto-zoologist, a specialist in animals that are only known about through myth and folklore, or creatures presumed to be extinct.

He added: "I actually hate apes. They are filthy, vicious, dirty, horrible things. I prefer working with reptiles. "If the yeti were here it would've been found centuries ago. But there's definitely something here - I think it's something paranormal."

The group does a lot of work with Twilight Worlds, an X-File-style association in South Shields whose volunteers investigate the paranormal.

Its next mission is a journey to West Africa in August to hunt for the Ninka Nanka dragon which is said to have killed several people.

John Fuller, Mr Freeman's assistant, said: "I don't know what to expect, but I've got an open mind. We haven't seen anything yet, but you never know what's out there."

The fishermen claimed they fled to their car in terror after encountering a figure about 8ft tall, with muscular arms and eyes that glowed in the dark. One of their friends also reported seeing a figure in March last year at night on a hill close to the remains of an Iron Age settlement by the park boundary.

A few weeks later he said he had heard a loud thud and a growl. You can follow the trail of the yeti hunters at their website www.cfz.org and on the British Hominid Research website www.lincolns.org.uk.

Link - icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk...

As a follow up to Unholy Enterprise's comment regarding the recently discovered orang-utans, I've added the information below.

A secret population of orang-utans has been discovered in the forests of the island of Borneo.

Conservationists believe about 2,000 rare apes are living out of sight in a remote lowland region of East Kalimantan. The find, if confirmed, will raise the number of known orang-utans in the world by about 10%.

The discovery of a large, biologically viable, previously unsurveyed orang-utan population in East Kalimantan is very significant. Dr Birute Galdikas, Orang-utan Foundation International: It offers hope of saving the endangered primate from extinction in the wild.

The claim, by researchers from the US-based conservation group Nature Conservancy, is based on signs of nests made by the apes. A survey of forest terrain suggests between 1,000 and 2,500 orang-utans are living in the area unnoticed, until now.

"This group could be one of the three largest populations in the world," said Linda Engstrom on the group's website. Engstrom, and colleague Bhayu Pamungk, spent four months searching dense areas of forest with teams of local villagers they had trained.

Orang-utans, like gorillas and chimpanzees, are often described as the closest relatives of humans. They are in grave danger of extinction, because their habitat is under threat from illegal logging, forest fires and gold mining. Many apes were orphaned in the forest fires of 1997 and 1998. Wild orang-utans exist only on two south-east Asian islands, Borneo and Sumatra.

An estimated 9,000 orang-utans survive in northern Sumatra, mainly near one national park, while some 10,000 to 15,000 orang-utans remain in Borneo.

Primate experts have predicted that the apes will be found only in zoos by the year 2020 unless immediate steps are taken to protect them.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), the annual 5% loss of habitat means there will be virtually no intact forest left for them by 2030.

"The discovery of a large, biologically viable, previously unsurveyed orang-utan population in East Kalimantan is very significant," said scientist and conservationist Dr Birute Galdikas, the president of the foundation.

"This find extends the orang-utan's known range and gives us hope that we can save orang-utan populations from extinction in the wild."

Link - news.bbc.co.uk...

thank you for your explaination deepwaters
like to ask u a few quest about bigfoot or sasquach
1.i have sometimes ago read in some website i cant remember which web is it ,this creature can turn to invisible if anyharm come to them.
2.very strange they are quite shy.

I seriously doubt that Unholy Enterprise, perhaps a hightened sense of smell or hearing may aid them to avoid unwated human contact, as well as knowing the terrain intimately.

Some of the most convincing reports I've read have come from native American Indians. One I read happened in about 1904 and was very funny, as the Indian man used very coloquial terms.

Deep

January 15, 2003 North Logan, Utah - The mother and son in a North Logan, Utah family who have seen tall, hairy Bigfoot creatures walk along the canal behind their house have asked not to be identified for fear of public ridicule.

The mother first saw a Bigfoot when she was 15-years-old in 1968 in almost the same place that her 16-year-old son saw another large, hairy creature on January 2, 2003. It was 11:30 p.m. MST and "Billy," as I'll call him, was talking with his cousin on his grandma's back porch two houses over from his parents' house.

Link - www.earthfiles.com...