What to do if you encounter the Yeti, according to a 1959 U.S. government memo

In the lead up to Halloween, the U.S. National Archives is showing off some of its “creepiest” documents. One of the winners? The official policy  from the State Department telling travelers what to do in the event that they encounter a Yeti while exploring Nepal.

Highlights include the instruction that the Yeti “must not be killed or shot at except in an emergency arising out of self-defense,” as well as the requirement that if you see a Yeti, you should tell the Nepalese government first, and not some journalist. As if.

In the 1950s, when cryptozoology was emerging, there were several publicized expeditions to Nepal by wealthy Americans who wanted to prove the existence of Yetis. The U.S. government has a form for everything, so it makes sense that Foreign Service workers would churn out some guidelines about a mythical beast.

Seeing as every use of the word “Yeti” is in quotation marks, it’s probably safe to assume that Ernest H. Fisk did not believe in Abominable Snowmen and would have rather spent his time issuing memos about literally anything else. Then again, in 1959, you probably had to make your own entertainment at the U.S. embassy in Katmandu.

David Matthews operates the Wayback Machine on Fusion.net—hop on. Got a tip? Email him: [email protected]