Guwahati: The Meghalaya government has been trying to verify claims by local residents of the State’s Garo Hills that they have sighted the ‘Mande Burung,’ a hairy, ape-like giant creature resembling the ‘Yeti’ which is said to inhabit the Himalayan region.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Don Kupar Roy told The Hindu on Saturday that some people of the Garo Hills had been claiming that they sighted the unknown creature.

“No confirmation”
“We have been trying to ascertain the facts through the Forest Department. So far none of our forest officials has sighted it or come across any evidence to confirm it,” the Chief Minister added.

The scientific community remains largely sceptical about the existence of the ‘Yeti.’ But it has come down as one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology, the study of unconfirmed animals.

The Achik Tourism Society (ATS) — formed by a group of ‘Mande Burung’ believers — has been documenting tales by local people and signs like “giant foot prints, its hair or impressions on tree and other signs” since 1997. The group has been sending its teams on the trail of the unknown creature whenever they came across news of villagers seeing it in a particular area. Last year, the villagers reported to the ATS that the creature was sighted between Norkek in West Garo Hills and Chokpot in South Garo Hills district.

However, the ATS team which went on its trail could not sight it or record any footprint. Locals, who claim to have sighted ‘Mande Burung’ describe the creature as a big and tall ape-like creature that walks on two legs.

From the size of its footprints, the ‘Mande Burung’ is believed to be about eight to ten feet tall.

(Original headline: Hot on the heels of the ‘Mande Burung’ )

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