Terrible events
In the second half of the 18th century, in the area of Gévaudan in the French province of Auvergne, events took place that shook the entire country. Over three years a mysterious beast killed about a hundred people. The superstitious peasants believed that the bloody deeds were the work of a werewolf. The local enlightened nobility, meanwhile, blamed all the human casualties on a wolf of unusual size. In the opinion of the nobles, it was a real monster – cunning and merciless.
The beast stalked only people and never touched livestock. This strangeness frightened people and filled their hearts with terrible dread. After all, a real wolf would not have failed to drag off a sheep or kill a cow. And in this story there was more of the mystical, mixed with evil sorcery.
The hunt for the beast
The famous Norman hunter Denneval would set off into the forests of Auvergne by order of Louis XV. Months would pass, and only on May 1, 1765, was it possible to find the lair of the Beast of Gévaudan. The monster was wounded, but found the strength to disappear into the remote wilderness.
A month later the «bearer of the royal harquebus» appears in Gévaudan – Lieutenant François Antoine de Beauterne. He vows to capture or destroy the bloodthirsty monster. A good hundred soldiers and almost the entire village set out on the hunt. They would manage to kill 1,200 wolves. On August 9, 1765, the lieutenant would have great luck. In the stomach of a huge wolf killed by the hunters, a scrap of fabric would be found. By general agreement, this was indeed the Beast of Gévaudan.
But the local people did not rejoice in their victory for long. The killings of people suddenly resumed with renewed force. Now the resurrected Beast of Gévaudan lay in wait for its victims right on their doorsteps.
Only on the third attempt did they manage to track down the elusive monster. During yet another battue, a local resident, Jean Chastel, brought the beast down with a well-aimed shot. The wolf of gigantic size, with a huge head, long front legs, and frightening large fangs, did indeed resemble the famous monster. The found remains of a missing girl in its stomach dispelled all doubts. The Beast of Gévaudan had finally met its end.
Mysterious discrepancies
However, in this story of the bloodthirsty monster there were many dark moments. The impression was created that someone was skillfully directing the actions of the Beast of Gévaudan. And the first suspicion immediately fell on the son of the lucky hunter – Antoine Chastel.
It was known that he had long worked as a tamer of wild animals in a circus. And many researchers believed that Antoine Chastel had created an underground laboratory. In it he crossbred dogs and wolves. And one day he obtained an unusual specimen. All that remained was to train the monster on living people. Although the peasants were convinced that the Beast of Gévaudan had come from the depths of hell. And having done its dark deed, it vanished forever.
