The yeti is one of the world’s most notorious cryptids, one searched for in earnest and with great enthusiasm. The huge, hairy monster is said to roam the Himalayas and some people out there are convinced the “abominable snowman” is real. Does this snow monster really exist? Is it a bear? An unidentified humanoid species? Complete fiction? You’ll find out in this episode of Monstrum. Dr. Zarka examines the yeti’s origins, from Tibetan folklore and religion to the Westernized abominable snowman version. She explains how Buddhist beliefs, a series of intrepid 20th-century explorers, and a creatively translated word make the yeti the creature we recognize today—and how it led to some pretty incredible scientific discoveries.