Coyote Peterson - Epic Encounters in the Animal Kingdom: Brave Adventures Vol. 2

You can do anything you want. Never give up on your dreams.

My mom

W hen I was only about eight years old, I developed a big, crazy dream for my life, and that was to host my own animal adventure show. I visualized myself introducing animal-obsessed kids like me to Earths most fascinating, little-known creatures, such as the velvet worma fuzzy, fluid-filled, caterpillar-like invertebrate who roams tropical regions worldwideor the black sea harea huge blob of inky black slime who resides in ocean tide pools and warm coastal waters. I was especially fascinated with reptiles, and I loved to venture into my backyard in Ohio, wading through swift-moving streams and leaping into muddy ponds to catch frogs, salamanders, andmy favoritesnapping turtles!

My backyard adventures were my research, and when I couldnt make it outside, Id go to the library and read every book on animals I could find, or Id watch shows like Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom and Marty Stouffers Wild America. Later on, I went to college and studied filmmaking, where I learned how to create, film, direct, and produce exciting content that would pull in viewers and keep them coming back for more. I worked tirelessly, never gave up, and never lost hopeeven when my goals seemed difficult or hard to achieveand in 2014, I launched the Brave Wilderness channel on YouTube. Five years later, we have over fourteen million subscribers and a show on Animal Planet, so Im proud to say that my dreams have come true in a big way!

While I was in the midst of building Brave Wilderness, traveling all over the world and soaking up all the knowledge I could about animals and conservation, I wrote a book called Brave Adventures that chronicled my favorite animal encounters. From my dramatic hands-on catch of an American alligator in the Florida Everglades to my slow and painstaking capture of a tiny tropical amphibian known as the granular poison frog, these were the magical moments that built and forged my bond with the animal kingdom. Each of these wild journeys into the wilderness taught me something new about how I interact with animals, and I considered them my best adventuresthe ones that started it all, taking the Coyote Pack on a thrilling, roller-coaster ride through the jungle, into the swamps, and deep into the heart of the Alaskan wilderness.

People loved reading the book, and I was overjoyed when readers wrote to me begging for more! Thats where the idea for this book began. As I developed the idea for Brave Adventures: Epic Encounters in the Animal Kingdom, I hoped to take my fans on another set of amazing adventures, but this time, I wanted to offer something elsesomething bigger, more personal, and longer lasting. Over the years, Ive learned so much about myself, my crew, the animals Ive featured, and whats motivated my dedicated ambition, and I realized I could impart those life lessons to all of you. Ive never set out on a big journey with blinders on. Ive always had a goal, a plan, and a work ethic, and by putting all those things into practice, Ive made my dreams come true. You can do the same. This book wont just take you on another fantastic and colorful voyage to the animal world; it will also advise you on some of the many ways to achieve your biggest, craziest, most-wished-for goals. I hope you read it and come away with a little inspiration, an enriched imagination, and a renewed love for the animal kingdom!

It may take your whole life for you to realize your dreams, but they can come true, whatever they are. So grab your passport, put on some bug spray, make sure your shoelaces are tied, and turn the page to join me on my most meaningful and thrilling adventures in the amazing, action-packed place we call nature!

I n order to make your biggest, grandest, most epic dreams come true, you need to start somewhereand that place is right at the beginning. Before Jacques Cousteau dove to extraordinary depths in the worlds great oceans, explored intricate shipwrecks and coral reefs, or taught the world about marvelous marine creatures like the sperm whale and giant squid, he had to first learn how to navigate the seas. Before the late, great Steve Irwin opened his own zoo or wrestled the planets fiercest and most frightening crocodiles using only his cunning and brute strength, he had to learn how to handle and care for the smallest reptiles. And before Bear Grylls traversed the vast, icy terrain of the Himalayas to conquer the worlds highest peak, Mount Everest, he had to first learn how to hike mountain trails.

All three of these famous, fearless explorers inspire me on my adventures, and Im proud to include them among my heroes. But ever since I was eightwhen I first dug my boots into the swampy Ohio mud and launched myself onto a snapping turtles spiked shellIve never held the illusion that I could reach their level of expertise overnight. I always knew that my dreams of encountering the Earths most unique and exotic creatures, building a successful animal adventure channel, and teaching the world about conservation would take every bit of energy I had. Even with a great team, the right amount of luck, and lots of hard work and creativity, I knew I had to build up my most breathtaking visions from scratch.

Every big journey starts with a first step, but the great thing Ive learned is that you can find inspiration anywhere. Your idols dont have to be famous, and the peaks you wish to summit dont have to be far away. Your dreams can start in the places you know the best, even right in your own backyard. For me and the Brave Wilderness team, Im happy to say it all began in a familiar yet magical place. A place thats always been near and dear to my heart: Ohios North Bass Island, oras I like to call itSnake Island!