June 19, 2020

This Day in Halloween: A wolf is shot in France that is often considered the last event associated with the so-called “Beast of Gevaudan” in 1767. / Illustration by Ryan Zulueta

A wolf is shot in France that is often considered the last event associated with the so-called “Beast of Gevaudan” in 1767. The wolf is shot by Jean Chastel during an organized hunt in the Margeride Mountains in south-central France. The three years of vicious attacks in the countryside were most likely committed by wolves that had developed a taste for humans, but gave rise to hysterical stories of supernatural monsters and inspiration to much of the modern werewolf genre known today.