Beast of Gevaudan

This is the name given to several enormous, man-eating, wolfish animals who ranged the provinces of Gevaudan and Vivarais in south-central France between 1764 and 1767. They were told to have a reddish color fur, large tails, and formidible teeth. They killed their victims by ripping at their throat and facial area with their teeth. The number of victims is uncertain, all depending on which source you look at. One source tells the creature claimed 210 victims--113 deaths and 49 injuries. Another is more specific, stating that 25 women, 68 children, and 6 men were killed, with over thirty more injured. All of the attacks were by a lone wolf, though some say that they saw a smaller female sitting nearby who did not participate in the attacks.

So what was the Beast of Gevaudan? Apparently, it had an aversion to cattle and always went for the human, so it wasn't an ordinary wolf. It's fur color and size also points away from the wolf speculation. Some say it was a wolf-dog mix, but no one can be sure.

The French spent a long time hunting ordinary wolves, but the attacks continued after all wolves were chased from the area. Finally, François Antoine, the king's Lieutenant of the Hunt, was brought in. In 1765, an enormous grey wolf was caught. He was 80 centimetres (31 in) high, 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) long, and weighed 60 kilograms (130 lb). It was agreed that this was large for a wolf. Several survivors identified it as the wolf who had attacked them, recognising scars from wounds they had given him as they defended themselves.

However, another beast soon appeared, killing several children. Dozens more attacks were reported.

He was eventually shot by a local hunter, Jean Chastel. A lot of controversy surrounds his success. One traditional story claims that, when part of a large hunting party, he sat down to read the bible and pray. During one of his prayers, the Beast came into sight, staring at Chastel, who finished his prayers before standing up and shooting him. This is unlikely, as waiting long enough for it's victim to stand up would be immensly uncharacteristic of the Beast. It's more likely that this version was invented out of romantic or religeous motives. Some other people claim that he had actually trained the beast, so that he could kill it and be hailed a hero.

Later, novelists started the idea that Chastel shot the Beast with a silver bullet of his own make. Thus, the silver-bullet-to-kill-a-werewolf story started.

Either way, it's a fascinating story.

xoxoxo,
Brii333

QUOTE OF THE DAY
For this was the land of the ever-memorable Beast, the Napolean Bonapart of wolves. What a career was his! He lived ten months at free quarters in Gévaudan and Vivarais; he ate women and children and ‘shepherdesses celebrated for their beauty’; he pursued armed horsemen; he has been seen at broad noonday chasing a post-chaise and outrider along the king’s high-road, and chaise and outrider fleeing before him at the gallop. He was placarded like a political offender, and ten thousand francs were offered for his head. And yet, when he was shot and sent to Versailles, behold! a common wolf, and even small for that.
~Robert Lewis Stevens in his book "Travels with a Donkey in Cevennes"