There was panic among tourists at a Spanish ski resort after skiers captured footage and a photo that appears to show a mysterious creature resembling a Yeti clambering through snow-covered slopes of the Pyrenees mountains.
The ski resort, known as Aramon , in the Aragon Pyrenees region of northeastern Spain, was put on alert after skiers reported seeing a mysterious creature resembling a Yeti roaming the snowy hills.
The skiers showed the ski resort management a photo and video of the alleged Yeti-like creature as evidence (see below).
The management placed the resort on alert and conducted a thorough search of the surrounding hills, but was forced to abandon the search after efforts yielded no clues or signs of the presence of a Yeti or Yeti-like creature.
And although the mystery was unsolved the management issued a statement reassuring tourists and skiers that there was no cause for alarm.
“We have spoken to the witnesses of the sighting to identify the area in which it took place and after combing the area we have found nothing,” the ski resort management said. “We believe therefore that there is no cause for alarm and that visitors’ security is guaranteed.”
“In any case we will remain alert,” the statement added.
Following the statement by the resort management, shaky and blurry footage, and a photograph of the alleged Spanish Yeti or Pyrenees abominable snowman surfaced online under the username Kangaroo.
Avistado animal extraño en Formigal ¿Que coj*nes es esto? IMAGEN INSIDE https://t.co/w1Asx9ON7j pic.twitter.com/I97lqAcxG4
— Foro Coches (@forocoches) February 1, 2016
Se hace viral una imagen tomada X unos esquiadores de un supuesto Yeti en la estación de esquí de Formigal pic.twitter.com/B7uH2VH17X
— RTVEAragón (@RTVEaragon) February 5, 2016
¿Hay un Yeti en Formigal? https://t.co/qqXYi5MAi2 pic.twitter.com/c5fKjNATgc
— Fcinco (@Fcinco_EM) February 4, 2016
The photo and video were uploaded to a popular web forum with the message, “This morning skiing in Formigal with friends we’ve come across this. What the h*ll is it? A bear or a bloody Yeti? We’ve told the ski resort but they haven’t taken us seriously. I bet there’s something on the loose out there. I know what I saw.”
The photo and video appear to show a mysterious bipedal creature with thick, shaggy white fur walking through snow on the hills. While it is unclear from the shaky video what the creature may have been, the photo appears to show a heavyset creature with white furry coat running down a slope.
“This morning skiing in Formigal with friends we’ve come across this. What the h*ll is it? A bear or a bloody Yeti?”
The video went viral after it was uploaded online, sparking fresh panic and forcing the resort management to issue another statement, urging visitors not to panic.
#formigal #spain #yeti ?! ??? @AramonFormigal @aragonturismo @BoutiqueNepal @TradinTraveler @Tiempo_Mercedes pic.twitter.com/DBdvYc6RUS
— Hotel Valle de Izas (@HotelIzas) February 3, 2016
Yeti filmed in Spain mountains ?… https://t.co/srzkjJM1VZ
— BLUE TONE BOY (@bluetoneboy) February 6, 2016
Skiers in panic after “yeti” filmed stalking mountains https://t.co/gtGzv9HYtD pic.twitter.com/Ctc9XDN4R1
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) February 6, 2016
Meanwhile, the images generated speculation to the effect that a Spanish Yeti was on the loose in the Pyrenees. Fonsi Nieto, former Grand Prix motorcycle racer, contributed to the debate with a tweet, “Is there a bear in Formigal? Be careful.”
“Is there a bear in Formigal? Be careful.”
Some did not take the warning seriously and joked it could be the ghost of Snowflake , the albino gorilla that died at the Barcelona zoo in 2003.
But viewers were unanimous that although the creature in the photo looks like the legendary abominable snowman or Yeti native to the Himalayas, it could have been a human dressed in furry coat. A few suggested it could have been a soldier in mountain camouflage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjlYOIuxi7U
However, the creature shown in the video, which appears to crouch as it takes unsteady steps, sparked a debate, with some noting it appears to have a snout and thus may have been a four-footed creature.
But others argued that what appears to be a dark snout is in fact a dark spot caused by bare vegetation in the background. Others noted the stark difference between the still photo and the video and argued that the photo could be fake.
The Yeti, also known as the abominable snowman, is a large, ape-like cryptid native to the slopes of the Himalayas in Bhutan and Tibet. Although, natives of the Himalayas region believe in the existence of mysterious ape-like mountain creatures that walk on two feet like humans, scientists insist there is no objective evidence to support the claims.
[Image via Shutterstock]