Want to hunt for the Yeti?

Government Regulations for Yeti Expeditions in Nepal

On November 30, 1959, the American Embassy in Kathmandu issued this memo outlining the regulations for American mountaineering expeditions in Nepal to search for the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman. Believed by some to reside in the Himalayan Mountains, interest in the Yeti spiked during the 1950s. This prompted the government of Nepal to issue regulations for Yeti-hunting parties.

The U.S. State Department’s memo restates Nepal’s policy, which stipulates that all Yeti expeditions must: pay the Nepalese government for a permit; photograph or capture the Yeti, but not kill it; and turn over any photographs or Yetis captured to Nepalese officials as well as any news or reports regarding its existence.

Learn more about the "Yeti Memo" on the National Archives blog Pieces of History.