In the following months, more attacks were reported and hysteria began to grip the region. By the end of the year, dozens of deaths created a new image of the animal they were dealing with. The Beast’s image changed from lone wolf to a hybrid creature backed by numerous, consistent eyewitness accounts. Many described the Beast to be the size of a bovine animal; one wolf was said to have appeared as big as a donkey; brown fur portions in wolves were described as reddish; the Beast’s dark line along its spine was interpreted as the usual saddle-shaped patch on a wolf’s back.
Other reports describe a tasseled tail and spots on the side. Many have speculated the animal to be a giant wolf-hybrid, while others ponder the possibility of a lion-like creature. While some descriptions varied, many of the details remained consistent- breathing new life into this fearsome creature.
Another gruesome detail which provides insight into the Beast’s identity is the method of killing. Many times, the beast would jump upon its victim, ripping the throat out; sometimes causing decapitation. The most common victims continued to be women and children tending to their flocks. This caused many to squander their responsibilities in tending livestock for fear of death.
The media ran with the descriptions and reports, causing even more widespread panic. This attention soon garnered the eye of royalty as well. With the high volume of attacks- which many believe were committed by multiple beasts- a higher power was needed to help remedy this plague of terror and death.
Jean-Baptiste Duhamel, the head of the local infantry decided to take action. He claimed to gather 30,000 men to hunt the beast. But his pumped-up rhetoric and hunts were pursued to no avail; the Beast escaped with gunshot wounds. At the end of Duhamel’s first year in pursuit of the Beast, many questioned his leadership and ability. One local newspaper voiced such concerns:
“…a ferocious beast of unknown type, coming from who knows where, attacks the human species, killing individuals, drinking their blood, feasting on their flesh, and multiplying its carnage from day to day…hunters who are in pursuit have neither been able to stop it, because it is more agile than they, nor lure it into their traps, because it surpasses them in cunning, nor engage in combat when it presents itself to them, because its terrifying appearance weakens their courage, disturbs their vision, sets their hands shaking, and neutralizes their skill.”
On January 12, 1765, Jacques Portefaix and seven friends were attacked by the Beast. After numerous attacks on the group, they pushed the Beast into retreat staying grouped together. This particular encounter and other tales of the Beast attracted the attention of Louis XV, who offered an award of 300 livres to Portefaix and another 350 livres to be shared among his companions. The king also directed that Portefaix be educated at the state’s expense. He then decreed that the French state would help find and kill the beast.
In the following weeks, Louis XV sent two professional wolf hunters, Jean Charles Mar Antoine Vaumesle d’Enneval and his son Jean-Francois. They arrived on February 17, 1765, with bloodhounds, weapons, and confidence. The two hunted for the Beast throughout the next several months with little luck. By September, the attacks continued despite the pair killing three large grey wolves they believed to be the culprits.
Many other hunters and noblemen also tried to stop the Beast for the claim to fame. However, all of these endeavors were in vain.