New search for
'Abominable Snowman'

The Abominable Snowman. Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Yeti.

It goes by many names, and now a new search is under way for the legendary creature that has been the inspiration for tall tales and movies – not to mention a financial blessing to those looking to cash in on the curiosity.

A Nepalese monk poses with a toy Yeti.

Seven Japanese explorers begin their two-month hunt today for the hairy, human-like animal in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal.

This is the second expedition for Yoshiteru Takahashi, a 60-year-old amateur cryptozoologist from Tokyo.

During his 1994 trip, Takahashi says he detected a strong animal smell and what looked like footprints of a human child in a mountain cave some 15,000 feet up Dhaulagiri, the world's seventh-tallest mountain, reports Kyodo News. He failed to catch any images, though, as his camera had fallen.

"I want to find out what made those footprints." Takahashi told the Associated Press. "They definitely didn't belong to a bear."

He and his fellow mountaineers are now armed with infrared-sensing cameras which can detect the body temperature of living creatures. His strategy is reportedly one of "hide and wait," thinking it is unlikely to run into Bigfoot by chance.

"I don't consider this a mystery," Takahashi said, according to AP. "The yeti exists – I just want to figure out what kind of animal it is."

As WorldNetdaily reported in June, six people – including one radio journalist – reportedly spotted a grayish "mythical ape-like animal," about five feet tall with shoulder-length black hair in China.

They reportedly discovered several footprints about 30 centimeters long after losing sight of the creature, which was said to be moving quickly.

Related stories:

In search of the Yeti

'Bigfoot' spotted in China

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