A team of British amateur explorers may have found evidence for the existence of the Sumatran Yeti.

Early analysis shows that samples of hair and footprints taken on the team’s trip to the Indonesian jungle do not appear to come from any known primate in the region. Some scientists believe that they may belong to the orang-pendek, or Sumatran Yeti, a creature first mentioned by Marco Polo after he visited the island in 1292.

Clumps of hair are to be sent for DNA analysis in Oxford to determine whether they are those of a new species, which would most likely be a relative of the orang-utan or the gibbon.

The orang-pendek is reputed to resemble the orang-utan. It has orange hair and stands about 5ft tall, but walks with a more upright stance and lives mainly on the ground. It is not supposed to be dangerous to people.

Adam Davies, an Internet project manager from Manchester, led the expedition to the mountain rainforest near Gunung Kerinci, in western Sumatra. “We are getting indications from the scientists that we may be on to something, and I have no doubt myself that this creature exists,” he said. “We heard its calls, and we’ve discovered a trail that can’t be explained by anything else.”

• Story originally published by:
The Times, London / England | Mark Henderson - Oct 27.01

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