It killed over 100 people. It was bulletproof. And it took an army to stop it.Between 1764 and 1767, the rural province of Gévaudan in southern France became a hunting ground. Something was stalking the peasantry—a creature described by terrified eyewitnesses as far larger than a wolf, with reddish fur, a panther-like tail, and intelligence that defied nature.It didn't just kill; it decapitated its victims. The panic became so widespread that King Louis XV was forced to deploy royal troops and professional hunters to hunt down a monster that seemed unkillable.In this episode, we open the case files on history’s most terrifying real-life monster movie:

• The Reign of Terror: The gruesome timeline of attacks and the descriptions of the beast that sparked national hysteria.
• The Royal Hunt: How the King of France waged war against a single animal.
• The Suspects: Was it a super-sized wolf, an escaped hyena, a prehistoric cryptid, or something supernatural like a werewolf?
• The Human Element: Darker theories suggesting a serial killer was using an animal as a weapon.

Join us as we trek into the 18th-century French wilderness to find the truth behind the legend that still haunts folklore today.Press play to confront the Beast.

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🎧 Unexplained History explores the myths, mysteries, and misunderstood moments that shaped our world. Hosted by Tom Mackenzie and Don Masterson. New episodes every week.
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History, Mystery, True Crime, Conspiracy, Paranormal, CIA, Cold War, Ancient Aliens, Archaeology, Unsolved, Supernatural, Tom McKenzie, Audio Drama, Storytelling, Documentaries.

This episode includes AI-generated content.