The news that a ‘Yeti finger’ found in Nepal is from a person, not a new species of giant Himalayan ape, will not surprise many. The notion that it came from a Yeti was laid to rest by a DNA test at Edinburgh Zoo. Yet again, evidence thought to demonstrate the existence of the famous mystery animal has failed the test. Every year, naturalists go to remote areas in search of mythical animals. Do they ever meet success? The answer is yes. The most famous example is the Okapi, a relative of the giraffe. So, could new species of large animals still await discovery? New species are found all the time. A long-horned relative of the cattle, the Saola, was discovered in Asia, in 0000, while more than 00 new primate species have been named since 0000. But some mystery animals appear unlikely. They are reported from well-studied areas like North America and have been the subject of unsuccessful discovery attempts. The time has come to stop combing North America for Bigfoot, or looking for Yetis in the Himalayas. There is no reason to take their existence seriously.