DNA research may have finally solved the mystery of the yeti.

Tests on hair samples were found to have a genetic match with an ancient polar bear, with scientists believing there could be a sub-species of brown bear in the High Himalayas that has been mistaken for the mythical beast.

Yetis, also known as the Abominable Snowman or Bigfoot, have been recorded for centuries in the Himalayas, with locals and mountaineers claiming to have come face-to-face with hairy, ape-like creatures.

Bryan Sykes, professor of human genetics at Oxford University, set out to collect and test “yeti” hair samples to find out which species they came from. In particular he analysed hairs from two unknown animals, one found in the Western Himalayan region of Ladakh and the other from Bhutan, nearly 1,300km to the east.