BHUTAN AND THE LEGEND OF YETI
The nation of Bhutan is in the Himalayas. Older people have stories of footprints and howls of the creature at nights. “The creature has always been out there, and it’s out there still,” says Sonam Dorji. He is seventy-seven years old and he grew up listening to the stories of Yeti. He also says “If you travel the ancient trails, even today, there’s a good chance you’ll meet him.”
However young people do not think like them. Tshering Sithar is Sonam’s son-in-law. He laughs when Sonam tells stories about Yeti. “What is it then?” he asks. “There’s nothing out there in the forest. Any educated person today knows this.”
For years, the Bhutanese believed that the Yeti was real. They said that the Yeti was half-man, half-animal. They believed that Yeti was tall, hairy and strong. They also believed that it lived mostly in the high mountains and avoided people. The Yeti was celebrated throughout Bhutan’s history. It was an important part of the country’s culture. They even created a national park to keep the animal safe.
For years, people have searched for the Yeti but the searches failed to find the beast. Nobody could take photos of it. Some scientists found clues like footprints or hair. Then they understood that those belonged to other animals like bears.
People do not believe in the Yeti as they did before. Science is changing people’s opinions and beliefs. Also, Bhutan is becoming a more modern country. Many younger people now believe that Yeti is only a legend. One teenager says “Look, this country is changing so much. There’s a lot of money here now, a lot of business. Some of these beliefs aren’t going to survive.”
Many older people have held onto their beliefs. However, the stories of the Yeti are not that popular anymore. Some people wonder if this change in beliefs will change Bhutan’s culture. “My parents used to talk about it, about meeting the huge man in the forest,” says another teenager. “But we don’t talk about it now.” he says.