The Beast of Gévaudan

Back in the mid-18th century, it was dangerous to travel alone through the province of Gévaudan. This was due to a nasty beast on the prowl with a hunger for human flesh. The Beast of Gévaudan was characterized as "like a wolf, yet not a wolf" and was blamed for hundreds of attacks that resulted in 100 deaths and over 300 injuries.

The first reported victim was a 14-year-old shepherdess named Jeanne Boulet, who was attacked by the beast and had her throat ripped out in June 1764. Over the next few years, the attacks continued as the beast preyed primarily on lone women and children, yet no one was truly secure from the beast.

As the number of victims grew, the regional authorities offered a substantial reward to whoever killed the beast. Tens of thousands of men accepted the challenge, yet the monster eluded them. Then, in early 1765, Jacques Portefaix, a 10-year-old kid, became a hero after defending his pals during an attack and driving the beast away with just sticks. When word of his exploits spread throughout France, the king dispatched his royal hunters to slay the Beast of Gévaudan. One of them shot a giant wolf and took the bounty, believing the beast was dead, but the attacks persisted.

It wasn't until June 1767, however, that a farmer called Jean Chastel appeared to put a stop to the monster's reign of terror. When he learned that the beast was in his area, he went into the mountains alone, apparently armed with silver bullets. When the beast tried to attack him, he killed it and took the body to the king, who gazed at it briefly before ordering that it be destroyed.

Other names: La bête du Gévaudan (French), La Bèstia de Gavaudan (Occitan)
Country: France