The Beast of Gévaudan

Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious predator terrorized the rural region of Gévaudan in south-central France, killing at least 100 people and injuring many more. The “Beast” became a sensation, attracting royal attention, military hunts, and enduring mystery. What was it? Theories range from wolves to hyenas to serial killers to supernatural creatures. The truth remains elusive.

The Attacks Begin

The first officially recorded victim was Jeanne Boulet, a fourteen-year-old girl killed near the village of Langogne on June 30, 1764. The beast’s hunting ground covered the Margeride Mountains and surrounding areas—a rugged, forested region where peasants tended livestock.

The attacks followed a disturbing pattern. The beast preferentially targeted women, children, and young people tending animals in isolated areas. It attacked with remarkable ferocity, often going for the throat or head. Victims were frequently found decapitated or with their bodies partially consumed.

Witnesses described a creature larger than a wolf, with a broad chest, a large head, and reddish fur with a dark stripe along its back. Some accounts mentioned a long tail and unusual facial features.

The Royal Response

News of the attacks reached Versailles, and King Louis XV took personal interest. The king sent professional wolf hunters, including Jean Charles Marc Antoine Vaumesle d’Enneval. When they failed, he dispatched his own gun-bearer, François Antoine. In September 1765, Antoine killed a large wolf and declared the beast dead.

But the attacks continued.

The Killing Ends

Local hunters organized their own hunts. On June 19, 1767, Jean Chastel shot and killed a large animal during a church-organized hunt. According to legend, Chastel loaded his gun with silver bullets blessed by a priest.

After Chastel’s kill, the attacks stopped. The Beast of Gévaudan was finally dead—or had moved on. The creature’s carcass was not properly preserved, and no definitive identification was ever made.

Theories

Over the centuries, numerous theories have attempted to explain the Beast. The simplest explanation is that it was a large wolf or pack of wolves. Some researchers have proposed exotic animals: an escaped hyena, a lion, or some other creature brought to France.

A more sinister theory suggests human involvement—that the attacks were committed or assisted by a person using a trained animal.

The Beast of Gévaudan remains one of the most documented cases of an animal systematically attacking and killing humans—and one of history’s most persistent cryptozoological mysteries.