Cryptomundo
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Ardent believers in the existence of a mythical creature known as the Yeti may be excited to learn that rare photographic “evidence” of this mysterious beast is now up for auction.

In 1951, British mountaineer Eric Earle Shipton was leading an expedition on Mount Everest when he took a series of photographs of what he believed might be the footprints of a bipedal, apelike creature known as the Yeti. The photos sparked debate in Europe about the existence of the mythical Himalayan creature, according to Christie’s, the auction house handling the online sale.

Four of Shipton’s 12-inch by 13-inch (30 by 33 centimeters) photographs will be sold to the highest bidder in a two-week-long online auction that began yesterday (Aug. 28). Two of the photos feature the alleged Yeti footprints alongside human footprints for the sake of comparison. The other two photos give the viewer a better sense of the scale of these enigmatic prints — showing the Yeti footprint next to an ice ax and a booted foot, respectively. [See more photos of the supposed Yeti footprints]

The 63-year-old photos could fetch up to $8,300, according to Christie’s.