Chalk it up to science by press conference, but an international team announced Monday they are convinced of finding Bigfoot, the mythical creature that has eluded capture by adventurers for generations.

A Russian-lead expedition in October set its sights on finding proof of the supersized ape, also known as Yeti, Sasquatch or the Abominable Snowman depending on what part of the world you're in.

The expedition narrowed in on the Azassky Cave in the Kemerovo region of Russia and attracted participants from the USA, Canada, Sweden and Estonia as well as celebrity factor, boxer Nikolai Valuev.

The press service of the regional administration said that Yeti's existence was confirmed on the level of 95 percent.

During the mission to the Azassky Cave, the members of the conference collected conclusive evidence proving the existence of the Yeti in Mountainous Shoria. The researchers found its footprints, the supposed resting place and various markers, which Yeti use to mark their territory, Interfax new service quoted officials representing the regional administration.

Whether the discovery pans out is unknown, but the scientist said they would analyze the hair samples in a lab, but did not give more details.

Summing up the results of the work, the participants of the conference concluded that the discovered evidence prove the existence of the Yeti in the Kemerovo region on the level of 95 percent, the message from the administration also said.

Skeptics say the claim of a Yeti is junk science and previous sightings are easily debunked.

The evidence points more towards hoaxing and delusion than real discovery, states the Skeptic's Dictionary, an online source to debunk junk science. Some believers dismiss all such criticism and claim that Bigfoot exists in another dimension and travels by astral projection. Such claims reinforce the skeptic's view that the Bigfoot legend is a function of passionate fans of the paranormal, aided greatly by the mass media's eagerness to cater to such enthusiasm.

Most of the American public doesn't buy into the Bigfoot mythology. According to a 60 Minutes/ Vanity Fair poll in 2010, only 7 percent of Americans surveyed said they believed that Bigfoot was most liklely to exist out of five paranormal choices. More people surveyed said they believed in ghosts and UFOs, other commonly cited paranormal beliefs.

The push to find the Yeti comes from a far-off Russian region where Yeti souvenirs became the most popular goods and Yeti Day is an annual holiday officially recognized that coincides with the opening of the ski season.

The region is banking on further promoting the Yeti. The region may create a special research center to study the Yeti in the regional university and create a journal dedicated to the science of the Yeti, the administration's statement said.

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