Who is Brave Wilderness? (2024)

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Brave Wilderness, the project of Nathaniel "Coyote" Peterson, embarked on its journey into the digital world in 2014 when Peterson began posting videos on his YouTube channel. The channel quickly gained recognition and popularity, hosting several captivating series such as "Breaking Trail," which earned a prestigious Emmy Award for youth/teen programs in 2015, "Dragon Tails," "Coyote's Backyard," "Beyond the Tide," and "On Location."

Notably, Peterson unintentionally created his first "bug attack" video in 2016, leading to an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm from his audience. This sparked the creation of his most popular videos, where he willingly subjected himself to stings from venomous insects, progressively testing his tolerance against the infamous "Schmidt sting pain index" created by entomologist Justin Schmidt. His daring encounters began with harvester ants and progressed to fire ants, the velvet ant, the tarantula hawk, and ultimately the bullet ant, famous for possessing the most excruciating sting on the pain index.

This bold approach not only amplified his channel's popularity but also secured Guinness World Records for the most-subscribed YouTube channel dedicated to animals and the most-viewed animal channel in 2019. Coyote Peterson's success on YouTube has led to numerous opportunities to expand his reach and impact. In 2020, he launched a television series on Animal Planet called "Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild," which has further solidified his status as a leading figure in the world of wildlife education and entertainment.

In addition to his YouTube and television work, Coyote has also authored several books, including "Coyote Peterson's Brave Adventures: Wild Animals in a Wild World!" (2017), "Coyote Peterson: The King of Sting!" (2018), and "Coyote Peterson's Brave Adventures: Epic Encounters in the Animal Kingdom" (2019). These books have been well-received and have helped to expand his reach beyond the digital realm.

As of May 2024, Brave Wilderness has an estimated net worth of around $11 million, according to YouTubers.me. The majority of his income comes from his successful YouTube channel, book sales, and television appearances. His Brave Wilderness channel alone has amassed over 21 million subscribers and 5 billion views, making it one of the most popular wildlife-focused channels on the platform. Peterson generates income through other sources such as the sale of his books and appearances on national TV programmes like Animal Planet. Get detailed information about Brave Wilderness’s net worth.

Despite his public persona, Coyote Peterson has largely kept his personal life private. He was born Nathaniel Peterson and grew up in the rural town of Newbury, Ohio, about 20 miles east of Cleveland. From a young age, he was fascinated by the natural world and spent much of his time exploring the outdoors and catching various animals.

Coyote attended Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School, a college-preparatory institution, before going on to study film at Ohio State University, where he graduated in 2004. Though he is considered an expert on animals, Coyote does not have any formal education in biology or animal training, and he has been transparent about this fact, warning his viewers not to imitate his methods.Coyote Peterson is married and has a daughter named Olivia, who is often featured in his videos. He has kept his family life largely out of the public eye, preferring to maintain a focus on his professional endeavours.

The Brave Wilderness YouTube channel offers a diverse range of content that focuses on adventure, wildlife encounters, and educational experiences. The channel is known for its series like "Breaking Trail," where Coyote Peterson explores various wilderness environments and encounters different animals, and "Beyond the Tide," which takes viewers on underwater adventures showcasing marine life.

The channel's content is not only entertaining but also educational, aiming to promote conservation of the natural world. Viewers are advised not to attempt to reenact scenes from the videos due to the potential dangers involved

Brave Wilderness’s YouTube Series

The flagship "Brave Wilderness" series is known for Coyote's daring encounters with dangerous and venomous animals. In these videos, he allows himself to be stung or bitten by creatures like the bullet ant and executioner wasp, educating viewers about the animals' behaviours and adaptations while emphasising the importance of respecting wildlife.

The Emmy Award-winning "Breaking Trail" series follows Coyote as he explores various wilderness environments around the world, encountering a wide range of animals in their natural habitats.

"Beyond the Tide" takes viewers on underwater adventures, highlighting the incredible diversity of marine life.

The "Dragon Tails" series focuses on rare and elusive reptile species, with Coyote traveling to remote locations to film and educate viewers about these fascinating animals.

"Base Camp" offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Brave Wilderness team's expeditions, showcasing the challenges and logistics involved in capturing the incredible footage featured in the channel's other series.

The "On Location" series follows Coyote and his crew as they travel to remote and often unexplored regions to document unique and captivating wildlife stories.

Finally, "Coyote's Backyard" focuses on the animals and ecosystems found in Coyote's own local environment in Ohio, highlighting the diversity of wildlife that can be found even in seemingly ordinary settings.

Top Videos on Brave Wilderness’s Channel

With over 84 million views, this is the most viewed video on the channel Brave Wilderness. In this video, Peterson is stung by a bug that can kill cows with one bite.

This is the second most viewed video on the channel and has over 79 million views. This is a video exploring bloodworms and their life.

This is the third most viewed video on the channel and has over 77 million views. In this video, Peterson gets attacked by cacti.

This is the fourth most viewed video on the channel and has over 71 million views. This is a video showing what it's like to be a snake venom milker.

This is the fifth most viewed video on the channel and has over 69 million views. This video shows what it’s like to get bit by bullet ants.

One of the most significant collaborations for Brave Wilderness is its partnership with renowned adventurer Bear Grylls and his production company, The Natural Studios. In 2022, it was announced that Brave Wilderness and Coyote Peterson had formalised an agreement with The Natural Studios, a joint venture between Grylls and production giant Banijay.

The first product of this collaboration is an episode of Brave Wilderness titled "The Game of Horns," which focuses on the plight of Africa's rhinoceros species. Filmed in the Eastern Cape, this episode prompts viewers to participate in the "Save the Horns" fundraising initiative, which aims to support the ongoing efforts to protect and conserve critically endangered black rhinoceroses.

Beyond the partnership with Bear Grylls, Brave Wilderness has also collaborated with other organisations and institutions to further its mission of wildlife education and conservation. The channel's website highlights several "partners" that have supported its work, including the National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Institution, and the World Wildlife Fund, among others.

While Coyote Peterson's work has been widely praised and admired, he has not been without his share of controversies and criticisms. In 2022, he sparked a significant backlash when he claimed to have discovered a large primate skull in British Columbia and smuggled it into the United States, suggesting it could be evidence of a previously undiscovered species.

The post went viral, attracting the attention of multiple scientists who quickly dismissed the finding as a likely replica gorilla skull. In the follow-up video, Coyote revealed that the situation was staged as a hypothetical example of how not to respond to such a discovery, but the damage to his credibility had already been done.

1. From a young age, Coyote had a deep fascination with animals and the outdoors, which was inspired by his mother.

2. Coyote does not have any formal education in biology or animal training.

3. In 2015, Coyote's "Breaking Trail" series won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Program.