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Images published on the army's social media page show deep-set footprints at the army's Makalu Base Camp, deep in the Himalayas. The post, sent to the Indian army's 5.98 million followers, had been shared more than 6,000 times as of early Tuesday.

The \"Yeti,\" aka \"Abominable Snowman,\" is often depicted in popular culture as a large, ape-like creature, not unlike how the creature is portrayed in the 1964 Christmas classic \"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.\"

Social media users pounced on the tweet.

One twitter user described the claim as \"deeply, deeply embarrassing.\"

This is deeply, deeply embarrassing: whoever in the Indian Army's PR has circulated this is disgracing the institution, and India, in the world's eyes. https://t.co/f11OvolnUb

— Praveen Swami (@praveenswami) April 30, 2019

Others drew parallels to the recent news story about a beluga whale that might be a Russian military agent, suggesting that the army could make use of its own \"Indo-Tibetan Yeti Force.\"

If the US and Russian navies can train marine mammals to plant stuff on the enemy, why can't we have the Indo-Tibetan Yeti Force?

— Indrani Bagchi (@horror06) April 30, 2019

However, Tarun Vijay, a prominent author and former politician, according to India Today, congratulated the army, but suggested that the word \"beast\" was disrespectful and that they should have instead used \"snowman.\"

Congratulations, we are always proud of you. salutes to the #IndianArmy Moutaineering Expedition Team. But please, you are Indian, dont call Yeti as beast. Show respect for them. If you say he is a 'snowman'.

— Chowkidar Tarun Vijay (@Tarunvijay) April 29, 2019

In reply to Vijay's suggestion, The Wall Street Journal Columnist Sadanand Dhume tweeted: \"I'm looking forward to the Indian Navy's official handle tweeting about having found the Loch Ness Monster, and a former BJP MP ticking them off for using the un-Indian word 'monster.'\"

I'm looking forward to the Indian Navy's official handle tweeting about having found the Loch Ness Monster, and a former BJP MP ticking them off for using the un-Indian word \"monster.\" pic.twitter.com/pXgciqMzmQ

— Sadanand Dhume (@dhume) April 30, 2019

Despite the alleged sighting, there's no scientific evidence confirming the Yeti's existence.

In 2011, according to the BBC, tests undertaken at Edinburgh Zoo on a 50-year-old bone fragment believed to be from a Yeti showed, unsurprisingly, that the bone was human.

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