YouTube sensation and Ohio State alumnus Coyote Peterson aims to inspire future

Known on YouTube as Coyote Peterson, the 2005 Ohio State graduate said he launched his YouTube channel Brave Wilderness in 2014. Credit: Courtesy of Brave Wilderness

In an ever-changing social media landscape, Ohio State alumnus and Emmy Award-winning content creator Nathaniel Peterson is a driving force on YouTube. 

Known on the platform as Coyote Peterson, the 2005 Ohio State graduate said he launched his YouTube channel Brave Wilderness in 2014 with 2008 Ohio State graduate and filmmaker Mark Vins. Since then, he has produced animal wildlife content that has made him the most popular animal-centered channel on YouTube. 

Peterson’s channel, which currently has over 19.7 million subscribers, ranks 185th in subscriber count on the platform and has raked in over 4.3 billion total channel views. 

Peterson said his aim with Brave Wilderness is to educate people about animal wildlife while keeping the content entertaining. 

“People have a reason to be afraid of something until they can get to the inside of that animal’s story and understand that it serves quite an important purpose on our planet,” Peterson said. “Our job, we feel, is to be the storytellers and the voice for these animals that can’t speak for themselves.”

When he was younger, Peterson said he was interested in animals, but he was also heavily influenced by prominent tales of that era, such as Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park” and George Lucas’ “Star Wars.” 

“I was sort of crafted at a young age, when the VHS tape was, like, the thing to do on Friday nights,” Peterson said. 

Peterson said allowing his imagination to run wild during his childhood enabled him to eventually combine his two passions. When he came to Ohio State, he said he pursued a career in screenwriting, producing and directing to learn how to effectively tell a story.

“I wanted to do the same thing for a different generation that Spielberg and Lucas’ generation did for me,” Peterson said. “And when we found the ability to then weave my love for animals into it, it was a little bit of right place, right time.”

Although Peterson said he is proud to have been a student at Ohio State, he said he had a love-hate relationship with his time on campus. When he was a freshman, Peterson said Ohio State lacked a film and media program. However, he said with the help of his advisers, he was able to participate in a personalized study program that gave him the flexibility needed to pursue his passion.

“It was Ohio State allowing me to do this, that sculpted me into the business and storytelling leader that I am today,” Peterson said. 

One of Peterson’s biggest content inspirations was Steve Irwin, and Peterson said he aimed to fill the hole left in the animal-entertainment space following Irwin’s passing. 

“Once Steve passed away, we really sort of jumped on board with the idea that we could be the next opportunity to bring all generations, but specifically younger generations, animals in a new way, especially with the advancements in camera technology and the storytelling platforms that were coming up through YouTube,” Peterson said.

Mario Aldecoa, wildlife biologist and producer for Brave Wilderness, said he believes the timelessness that goes hand in hand with animal content is the key element to its success. 

“The content that’s produced is what we call evergreen, meaning that it will never get old,” Aldecoa said. “You know, there’s always going to be a generation of people that will learn about nature.”

Beau Sedivy, chief operating officer for Brave Wilderness, said he credits the channel’s success to the determination of the team, as well as the on-screen talent. 

“I think you have to have talent to be successful, and we have a lot of talented individuals, you know, starting with Coyote as the spearpoint of the organization,” Sedivy said. “But I think you also have to have dedication and commitment and a lot of hard work.”

Aldecoa said the channel’s family-friendly nature also helps to attract audiences of all ages. 

“Kids can watch us, and adults watch us too,” Aldecoa said. “So we have lots of fans of ours, parents that will be like, ‘You know, it’s great that we could trust that the stuff that you guys are putting out is safe for our kids to watch,’ and they’ll tend to end up watching it too.”

Sedivy said he is proud of the content Brave Wilderness produces and the educational value it provides. 

“I think we’re just proud that we’re inspiring that next generation of animal explorers,” Sedivy said.