Do you believe the yeti exists?

Aerialist acrobatics from Project Bandaloop perform on a billboard under the watchful eye of the Himalayan creature Yeti, all part of the Disney production "Everest in the City" high above Times Square in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006. (Henny Ray Abrams/Associated Press)

Officials from the Russian coal-mining region of Kemerovo claim to have discovered evidence that the legendary yeti, or abominable snowman, is lurking in their mountainous backyard, The Telegraph reports.

"During the expedition to the Azasskaya cave, conference participants gathered indisputable proof that the Shoria mountains are inhabited by the 'Snow Man,'" the Kemerovo region administration said in a press release.

The statement said that members of the expedition found hair samples, a bed and other items the creature uses to mark its territory.

Retired professional boxer Nikolai Valuev accompanied the expedition, which also included explorers and yeti enthusiasts from around the world. "I have no doubts, the yeti has settled [here]," said Valuev, according to Al Jazeera's blog.

Kemerovo has been trying to find more evidence of the yeti for several years. Officials have either been trying to attract a tourism presence to the mostly industrial region with accounts of the legendary beast's traces - evidence either real or created, depending on whom you ask. Al Jazeera notes that Valuev recently entered Russian politics, and opposition groups call the expedition a political stunt.

The yeti or abominable snowman has traditionally been rumoured to stalk the Himalayas, and remains one of the premier unknown creatures alongside the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot and Chupacabra.

Do you believe in the yeti or other legendary creatures? Do you think the traces found in Kemerovo are evidence, or a stunt? Share your thoughts - and stories - here.

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(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)