For three years in the 1760s, the French town of Gévaudan was attacked by a gigantic beast, said to be “like a wolf, but not like a wolf.” The first recorded fatality happened in June 1764 when the beast killed a 14-year-old shepherdess. The attacks became a media sensation all over the world, including in the U.S. After a group of boys fought off an attack in January 1765, King Louis XV sent hunters. It took numerous attempts, but two beasts were finally killed - one with a silver bullet - ending the terror. The actual type of animal is still unknown, but some believe it could have been wolves, lions, hyenas, or the extinct hyaenodon. Over 100 people lost their lives to this creature(s). These events spawned the werewolf folklore.
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