Gévaudan Beast Attacks
For three years, a creature terrorized rural France, killing over 100 people. The King sent his best hunters. Survivors described a massive wolf-like beast with unprecedented aggression. Two animals were eventually killed. Questions remain about what really stalked Gévaudan.
France’s Three-Year Terror
Between 1764 and 1767, the Gévaudan region of France was terrorized by a creature that killed over 100 people—mostly women and children. The Beast’s reign of terror mobilized a nation and created a legend that persists today.
The Terror Begins
June 1, 1764:
- First official victim
- Jeanne Boulet
- 14 years old
- Near Langogne
- Beginning of nightmare
The Region
Gévaudan:
- South-central France
- Rural countryside
- Agricultural
- Poor communities
- Isolated villages
The Attack Pattern
How it hunted:
- Targeted lone victims
- Mostly women and children
- Daytime attacks common
- Went for the head
- Extreme aggression
Survivor Descriptions
What they reported:
- Larger than wolf
- Reddish-brown fur
- Huge teeth
- Strange appearance
- Not normal wolf
The Royal Response
King Louis XV:
- National emergency
- Sent soldiers
- Professional hunters
- Large rewards
- Military operation
The Hunt
Who came:
- Jean Charles d’Enneval
- Expert wolf hunter
- François Antoine
- Royal gunbearer
- Army units
François Antoine’s Kill
September 1765:
- Shot large wolf
- Near Chazes
- Declared victory
- Received reward
- But attacks continued
The Attacks Resume
After “victory”:
- More victims
- More deaths
- Beast not dead
- Or multiple beasts
- Terror continues
Jean Chastel
The final hunter:
- Local farmer
- June 19, 1767
- Shot the creature
- Attacks stopped
- Hero status
What Chastel Killed
The body:
- Large wolf-type
- Unusual features
- Human remains inside
- Examined briefly
- Body lost
The Theories
What was it:
- Large wolf
- Wolf-dog hybrid
- Escaped hyena
- Trained attack animal
- Multiple creatures
The Human Element
Disturbing possibility:
- Someone directing attacks
- Trained animal
- Serial killer’s tool
- Armor protection
- Not random
The Body Count
Final toll:
- 100+ killed
- 30+ wounded
- 3+ years
- Regional trauma
- National shame
Cultural Legacy
French memory:
- Never forgotten
- Books, films
- “Brotherhood of the Wolf”
- Tourist attraction
- Regional identity
Significance
A three-year killing spree by an unknown creature that mobilized a nation and was never fully explained.
Legacy
The Beast of Gévaudan killed over 100 people and was never truly identified. Whether wolf, hybrid, or something stranger, it earned its place as history’s deadliest cryptid—a creature that hunted humans successfully for three terrifying years.