The Beast of Gevaudan is one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in French history. From 1764 to 1767, something attacked people in a mountainous region of southern France called Gevaudan. Witnesses described a huge wolf-like creature, about the size of a cow, with reddish fur and an unusually long tail. Over 200 attacks were reported during the three years of terror.
The attacks were so serious that King Louis XV himself got involved. He sent professional royal hunters to track the Beast down and offered a massive cash reward to whoever killed it. Two different hunters eventually shot huge wolves and brought them in. After the second wolf was killed in 1767, the attacks stopped.
Historians and scientists still argue about what the Beast really was. Most think it was a giant wolf, or possibly two wolves working together. Others have suggested it could have been a hyena that escaped from a private zoo, or even a wolf-dog mix. Whatever it was, it inspired countless French books, movies, and TV shows over the centuries.
