Beast of Gévaudan | The Unknown Creature That Left a Bloody Trail in France for Years

Examining the history and theories behind the Beast of Gévaudan and its trail of bodies. Was it a mythical beast, a pack of wild animals, or a serial killer?

It’s 1764, and France is reeling from a devastating war, when suddenly the southern countryside finds itself terrorized by an unknown predator. Even after the Royal Army seemingly hunts the creature down and presents a carcass to the king, a second wave of headless bodies begins to appear soon thereafter. Since then, the creature has sparked many conspiracies as to the true nature of these killings. Was this a prehistoric monster, a serial killer hiding amidst the chaos, or something else? Today, we uncover the grisly history of the Beast of Gévaudan.

Sensitive topics: Child death, animal death