The Indian army has been ridiculed after a team of military mountaineers claimed to have discovered large footprints belonging to the mythical snow beast known as “Yeti”. 

The army’s official Twitter account on Tuesday shared three images with its their nearly six million Twitter followers, showing mysterious 81×38 centimetre markings in the snow.

“For the first time, an Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition Team has sighted mysterious footprints of mythical beast ‘yeti’ … close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019,” read the tweet.

“This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past,” it added.

For the first time, an #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team has sited Mysterious Footprints of mythical beast 'Yeti' measuring 32×15 inches close to Makalu Base Camp on 09 April 2019. This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past. pic.twitter.com/AMD4MYIgV7

— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 29, 2019

The army said it released the photos after deciding the footprints matched existing theories about the creature.

“So, we thought it prudent (to go public) to excite scientific temper and rekindle the interest,” a spokesperson told The Times of India.

The Indian army faced ridicule on social media, with many users criticising it for using its platform to propagate debunked myths.

Little known fact for all you doubters who say it was one-legged: yetis prefer to catwalk. #Yeti pic.twitter.com/TJ8kWGfR00

— Dhruva Jaishankar · ध्रुव जयशंकर (@d_jaishankar) April 29, 2019

Hashtag #Yeti was trending at number 1 in India on Tuesday night, as users poked fun at the intense speculation regarding the mythical creature.

“It was an expedition team from the Indian Army that first spotted such large footprints,” an army source told EFE, requesting anonymity.

“The team has collected enough photographic evidence and videos, which will be delivered to experts in the field after the return of the expedition,” the source added.

Evidences have been photographed and handed over to subject matter experts, says #IndianArmy but adding nature, history and science never write their final story#Yeti pic.twitter.com/965c3L2NTP

— Neeraj Rajput (@neeraj_rajput) April 30, 2019

The Yeti, another name for the so-called “abominable snowman,” is often described as a furry, ape-like creature taller than an average human that is believed to inhabit the Himalayas, Siberia or the Central and East Asian regions.

The elusive animal is part of the region’s mythological folklore, although the hunt for proof of its existence has been taken up by many self-described cryptozoologists throughout the world.

I always knew Tintin was right. He was the first to spot the mysterious beast Yeti. Time to re-read Tintin In Tibet pic.twitter.com/mEBdxhqTVx

— bhavatosh singh (@bhavatoshsingh) April 30, 2019

With no solid evidence available for its existence, most scientists dismiss the creature’s existence.

-with AAP