Indian army claims to have spotted fingerprints of yeti

The Indian army has claimed to have found footprints of the yeti, sparking jokes and disbelief on social media.

The army tweeted to its nearly six million followers on Monday that it had discovered "mysterious footprints of mythical beast 'Yeti' at the Makalu Base Camp [in the Himalayas]", BBC News reports.

The yeti - a giant ape-like creature - often figures in South Asian folklore.

There is no evidence proving yeti exist but the myth retains a strong appeal in the region.

And the army has now added to the legend by sharing pictures of "footprints" in the snow on an official Twitter account.

Although the footprints were discovered on 9 April, the army made the discovery public only after deciding that it matched earlier theories about the yeti, according to a report in the Times of India.

Reacting to the disbelief on social media, the army said the "evidence" about the yeti had been "photographed " and "handed over to subject matter experts".