ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the on-going discussions about the nature of the Beast of Gevaudan as part of the many-voiced discourse concerning the return of wolves in Europe. It focuses on popular nonfiction books and their changing perception of the Beast that can be inscribed in the contested discourse about wolf-threatening and wolf management strategies. The chapter deals with a quick glimpse into the Beast’s appropriation in the regional tourism, thus, bearing witness to its integration into French memorial culture. The image of the wolf is burdened by negative stereotypes: the Bible, fairy tales, legends and natural histories all had their share in this development. The Beast of Gevaudan was neither the first nor the last Beast in France, but the 1760s were a time of increasing media coverage. In the case of the Beast of Gevaudan, this new image of the wolf resulted in an attempt at exoneration.
