This book explains the mystery of the Yeti or Abominable Snowman, the creature that has left mysterious footprints in Himalayan snows. The book also explores why people are so fascinated with the possibility that a wild hominoid might still reclusively live (the idea of a wild humanity alive in people's hopes). Here also is the extraordinary story of one man's conservation impact – a quest for mysterious animal caused him to lead in creating two massive national parks around Mount Everest, one in China/Tibet and one in Nepal.
Yeti narrates how the author explores much of the 2,000-mile breadth of the Himalaya, from his childhood in India to his work years in Nepal, China/Tibet, and Bhutan. From 1956 until 2015 he visited almost all valley systems. The book recounts his ascents of Himalayan summits and even a first descent of a major river, Nepal's Sun Kosi.
This book not only explains scientifically the Yeti and describes a range of Himalayan animals and plants, it also brings forward a wide scope of ecological understanding. Significant among these is the author's postulate about bioresilience as a parallel dynamic to biodiversity. Additionally, the author explores what it means (and how important it is) for people to be part of 'the wild' in today's increasingly domesticated world. Taylor's breadth of Himalayan knowledge is massive, the story captivating and full of surprises – and what he has accomplished includes 'discovering' the Yeti as well as creating two huge national parks.
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Arriving at the Yeti's Jungle
Chapter 2 - In the Yeti's Jungle
Chapter 3 - The Bear Mystery
Chapter 4 - My First Yetis
Chapter 5 - Yeti Expeditions
Chapter 6 - Footprints Melting into Rivers
Chapter 7 - Towards the Barun Jungles
Chapter 8 - Our Evidence Meets Science
Chapter 9 - Evidence Slipping Away
Chapter 10 - From Whence Knowledge
Chapter 11 - The King and His Zoo
Chapter 12 - Back in the Barun
Chapter 13 - Bears and Bioresilience
Chapter 14 - Entrapping the Yeti
Chapter 15 - Discovery
Afterword
About the Author
Daniel Taylor has been engaged in social change and conservation for four decades with a focus on building international cooperation to achieve ambitious projects. He founded the nine Future Generations organisations worldwide (including the accredited Future Generations Graduate School). He also founded and led The Mountain Institute and its worldwide programmes. In 1985, after providing the scientific explanation for the yeti, he led creating Nepal's Makalu-Barun National Park, then, in close partnership with the Tibet Autonomous Region, China's Qomolangma (Everest) National Nature Preserve and Four Great Rivers Nature Preserve protecting one-seventh of China's forest reserves. Taylor is one of the synthesisers of the SEED-SCALE method, an understanding of social change initiated by a UNICEF task force he co-chaired from 1992 to 1995.