Coyote Peterson Net Worth & Real Name

Publish date: 2024-09-21

Coyote Peterson Net Worth – $5 million

What is Coyote Peterson’s net worth? What is Coyote Peterson’s real name?

Introduction

Nathaniel “Coyote” Peterson is a YouTuber turned wildlife educator turned mainstream host of the ultra-popular Animal Planet series, Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild.

Known for his early creative content—much of which included him being bitten or stung by something—Coyote has more than 20.7 million YouTube subscribers and a view count nearing 4.8 billion.

Here’s the who, why, and how of Coyote Peterson’s success as a wildlife adventurer.

The Origin Story

Nathaniel Peterson was born in Newbury, Ohio, on September 1, 1981.

s a kid, he was always fascinated with wildlife and the animals wandering around his home and surroundings. ”Growing up in Ohio, I’d spend my time exploring the wild areas behind my home,” Peterson told Guinness World Records.

His parents recalled watching him run towards them with a rattlesnake in his hands when he was just 10 years old.

He earned the nickname Coyote, which his mom gave him in reference to Looney Tunes’ Wile E. Coyote.

Peterson attended Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High School through his teen years, before heading for Ohio State at the turn of the millennium.

He studied film production and directing, graduating in 2004. He worked as a lab technician for over a decade before returning to his real love—wildlife.

To this day, Peterson stresses to his millions—if not billions—of viewers that they shouldn’t do what he does at home, specifically because he has no training in animal behavior or biological science.

But what Coyote lacked in qualifications, he more than made up for in passion and determination.

A Career Is Born

In 2014, Coyote posted his first video to social media giant, YouTube. Since then, he has used the platform to feature several self-hosted series, including the Emmy Award-winning Breaking Trail, On Location, and Coyote’s Backyard.

In a similar vein to the iconic Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, Coyote appeared on mainstream US talk shows like Conan, where he has displayed amazing species like the bird-eating Tarantula, and the Black Sea Hare—an almost 30 lb slug.

Peterson’s social media following—known affectionately as the Coyote Pack—have seen the enthusiastic filmmaker handle some of the world’s wildest creatures.

What makes him even more appealing is his bravery on camera. His viewers have seen him be bitten and stung countless times, with “be brave!” being one of his most helpful catchphrases.

Coyote’s videos regularly go viral, with some of the most popular being the time he got stung by a murder hornet, bitten by a bloodworm, and stung by a bullet ant.

Thanks to the channel’s co-founder—Mark Vins—and wildlife biologist cameraman Mario Aldecoa—viewers get a chance to see the money-shot: the stinger (or teeth) sinking into Coyote’s skin. ”You never know how you’re going to inspire someone,” Nathaniel said in an interview.

Go Big Or Go Home

@Getty

This sense of adventure and ability to entertain millions led Coyote and his Brave Wilderness team to the opportunity of a lifetime—a show on Animal Planet.

The channel now broadcasts the exploits of wild animals to around 400 million viewers globally, and once housed the Crocodile Hunter. It’s also the channel that made Jeff Corwin famous.

The new show, Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild, made its TV special debut in February 2019, and the series premiered the following week.

It ran for several months, before ending with no plans to renew in April of that year. Not once during the show’s first season did Coyote get stung by a wild creature.

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The Beast of Bites

Stephen Colbert and Coyote Peterson during Friday’s February 28, 2020 show – @Getty

In 2020, Coyote Peterson released the chronicles of the bites and stings he’d received so far in his career.

From getting chomped by his beloved snapping turtles to the excruciating bite of a giant desert centipede—one of the only bites for which he sought medical attention—Coyote looks back on them all in this photo memoir.

The book, which is filled with fascinating facts and hilarious stories, appealed to Brave Wilderness fans worldwide.

Behind The Scenes

Coyote may have seen the world, traveling from the continental US to Australia, Costa Rica, Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand, but he enjoys his time away from the camera.

In his opinion, he’d be doing the same thing on vacation as he would on the show—except he’d have his young daughter alongside him.

Peterson and his wife (name undisclosed) welcomed their little girl in 2008, and his wife gave her the nickname Pup—in reference to her dad’s Coyote moniker. ”For someone like my daughter, who’s in grade school, and her friends who watch YouTube, I’m a bigger star to them than Leonardo DiCaprio,” he said.

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