Today we have our final installment of our tribute to Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s 10th anniversary by looking at the park’s wildest stars. COntributing writer Mike takes to the high Himalayas to research one of the world’s most elusive animals.
Species: Yeti
Habitat: Mountains/Valleys of Nepal & Tibet
Status: Presumed Endangered
DAK Location: Expedition: Everest
The Yeti, often referred to in folklore and stories as the abominable snowman, can be found in the mountainous valleys of Nepal and Tibet. The animal’s name comes from a tibetan word, yeh-teh, meaning “rock bear.” Despite the name, the yeti is not related to the bear but is instead a primate. In fact, it is the largest primate, outweighing a male silverback by 50%. Also, unlike other primates except man, it walks upright.
We know very little about this elusive creature as it lives in one of the most remote, least populated regions of the planet. It was years before the first westerner actually saw one. Simliar to the mountain gorilla and okapi of the Congo, western science presumed the creature to be myth even though the local populace was well aware of its existence. One of the first westerners to see evidence of the animal was Lt. Col. Charles Howard-Bay in a trek to the region sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society. He saw only the tracks of the yeti. As thrill seekers from abroad continued to visit the area’s impressive mountains, more tracks were spotted. In 1953, Sir Edmond Hillary spotted footprints while climbing Everest. Shortly thereafter, another trip sponsored by the RGS actually spotted the creature at about 15,000 feet. The imposing mountains continue to draw climbers and visitors, but encounters still are rare.
The reasons for the rarity of these encounters stems from fact that the creature is rare in number and lives exclsuively in a remote area. The population is limited by the amount of food in its local habitat. As is typical in many primates, the creatures have large canines for demonstration purposes. They are mostly vegetarians but will occassionally eat carrion or small animals. To date, there have been no substaniated attacks on humans although there have been reports of the creature destroying property.
The primates generally live in the dense valley vegetation. When visual encounters do occur, the creature is usually attempting to cross mountain passages to get to the next valley. Still, the animal is often not seen. One defense mechanism of the creature is to crouch down and remain perfectly still. To snow leopards and mountain climbers, the yeti will look exactly like a large rock in the distance. There are many local tales of people walking along a mountain pass only to see a “boulder” leap up and run away.
As one would suspect, the yeti plays a key role in the mythology of the region. In some local cultures, the yeti is believed to be the ghost of someone who has recently died. Other cultures see the yeti as a demon who guards the mountains from trespassers. This, of course, contradicts recent studies showing the creature to be a vegetarian. For the longest time, the gorilla suffered from this misconception, as well. Confrontations between man and yeti have been very rare. As people continue to travel to the area, these will invariably increase. In all likelihood, there is nothing to fear from the animals despite their reputation as demonic protectors of the Himalayans, even though they seem to have a strange dislike for trains…
