Alma, Almasty, Albasty

From: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/articlealma.shtml

A large humanoid ape-like creature that is said to live in the Caucasus mountains, in Kazakhstan, Asia. Unlike the Yeti and other ape-like creatures, the Alma supposedly resembles Neanderthals rather than apes. They have been reported for hundreds of years by people in the region, and are something of a legend to the local population.

These creatures have been reported in many different regions, and by many different cultures in Asia. So much so infact, that there are many different names used to refer to them. These names include : Abnuaaya, Bekk-Bok, Biabin-Guli, Gul-Biavan, Guli-Avan, Golub-Yavan, Kaptar, Kra-Dhan, Ksy Gyik, Mirygdy, Mulen and Voita
Witness descriptions of the Alma are very similar to descriptions of Bigfoot, Yetis and other Ape-Like creatures from all over the world.

This suggests that the overall phonomenon can't be simply ignored. So many independent cultures have such creatures in their legends, that it seems unlikely that this is just coincidence.

Some Cryptozoologists have suggested that these legends are based on sightings of large ancestors of today's ape species centuries ago, and have been passed down from generation to generation.
One of the most recent sightings of the Alma was in 1992 when some footprints were found in Mongolia. Earlier sightings included an incident In 1972 when a Russian doctor allegedly encountered a "family of Almas", although little further came of this report.

In 1985 there was another similar report made by Maya Bykova, who claimed to have witnessed an "unknown humanoid" in one Asian region. It's clear that there is some unidentified creature in these regions that has sparked such intreague and legend.

As usual though, only a body will satisfy science. However, nothing will likely change the local traditions and legends based on these mysterious animals, proven species or otherwise.