The Beast of Gévaudan is a dog like creature which created a very big concern in the 1760s in France. It inhabited the Margeride Mountains of the middle of France in the Gévaudan province. The reign of terror lasted for three years starting in 1764.
This cryptid is described as being as big as a horse but was a wolf-like creature with a long pig-like snout with a mouth full of very large and sharp teeth. The ears were small and rounded, not like those of most wolves. The neck was very stout and powerful. The fur was dark with a reddish tinge, and there was a very foul and unbearable odor. The tail was very long and heavy. Many stated the beast reminded them of a panther, wolf, bear and hyena. Others declared it to be some kind of werewolf which was sent to punish the villagers for their misdeeds.
The beast seemed to prefer to attack humans instead of cattle. Many attacks reported the person was attacked in fields where cattle and sheep were abundant. When it attacked the animals, it was said it would knock the animal down and then proceed to tear it apart. Human attacks were swift with the animal going straight for the throat. Records from the Beaufort (1887) show there were approximately two hundred and ten attacks against humans with one hundred and thirteen deaths with forty nine non lethal injuries. Ninety eight of the deaths were reported to be victims that were partially eaten.
The people joined together in a hunt to kill the beast which consisted of several royal huntsmen, nobles, and conscripted civilians. The enormous effort was unsuccessful. The outcry from the people was so great action was taken by the King of France, Louis XV. The King hired Jaques Portefaix with a team of eight to hunt down the creature and destroy it in 1765. They went about hunting wolves killing all they could find. However, the attacks continued, and eventually the wolf hunters were replaced by another professional, Francois Antoine. On 21 September 1765, Antoine killed a very large wolf and the terror reign of the beast was over. Unfortunately, on December of that same year, the attacks resumed. Two children were attacked, with dozens more deaths reported after that. Eventually, the second beast was killed by Jean Chastel, at the Sogne d'Auvers on June 19, 1767.
Two beasts? Could that mean there are more still out there?
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