Meet Coyote Peterson: The Crazy American YouTuber Who Gets Stung by Executioner Wasps and Bullet Ants

For most of us, when we see a wasp or any other kind of insect with a poisonous sting, we stay as far away as humanly possible. I’ve been stung by a few wasps in my day and I can verify that it’s not all that much fun.

For American YouTuber Nathaniel “Coyote” Peterson, however, seeking out the most animals with the most painful stings and bites on Earth is just another day at work. This veritable maniac has made a living off of letting himself get stung by bullet ants, executioner wasps, vampire fish, piranhas, and a gang of other terrifying animals. And we absolutely love it.

How exactly a guy from Ohio gets into the business of capturing rare and exotic animals and letting them sting him is beyond me, but it sure makes for some enjoyable entertainment.

I bet Coyote Peterson was that kid in the fifth grade who ate bugs for $2. Or maybe the kid who freaked out his teachers by bringing poisonous snakes into the classroom. But, Coyote has made quite a sizable amount of cash from his lack of fear of dangerous creatures, as his reported net worth in 2021 is over $11 million.

But here’s a question: would you trade lives with Coyote Peterson? Would you let yourself get stung and bit by all of the animals that he has if it meant you could make an $11 million fortune? I’m not sure that I would. It’s probably best to leave that to Coyote, that deranged lunatic.

Coyote Peterson has got to be one of the most badass human beings to ever live on this planet, and I’m so glad that he has not one ounce of sanity. At this point, I’ve probably watched every single video on his YouTube channel, Brave Wilderness, and I could easily watch them all again.

So, in honor of Coyote Peterson and as a lament for his mental stability, let’s take a look at Coyote’s background, what he’s doing now, and some of the most insane things he’s ever done.

Who Is Coyote Peterson?

Nathaniel “Coyote” Peterson grew up in the rural town of Newbury, Ohio, about 20 miles from Cleveland, where the most exotic animals are probably squirrels and skunks. Coyote has said that his passion for animals started at a very young age and was inspired by his mother, who introduced him to many different species of animals.

Ironically, Coyote has also said that his mother is the only member of his family that’s especially concerned for his well-being these days (even though she let him film the “ANT ATTACK!” video in her backyard).

When Coyote grew older, he attended Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School, a prep school in Chardon, Ohio, and then graduated from The Ohio State University in 2004. And while Coyote is certainly very knowledgeable about wildlife, he has never been formally educated in any biological science, which is why he tells his viewers to never imitate his methods.

In 2014, he started the Brave Wilderness YouTube channel, which didn’t feature any bite or sting videos at first. Eventually, Coyote began doing what he is most known for now: finding insects with extremely painful stings and bites and letting them torture him.

Since then, his channel has absolutely exploded in popularity, and he even set a Guinness World Record for the most-subscribed YouTube channel dedicated to animals. He’s also been a guest on Conan and even joined in a video call with President Joe Biden.

The Craziest Brave Wilderness Videos

It’s hard to narrow down the craziest Brave Wilderness videos, mostly because nearly every single one of them is absolutely mental. But, let’s quickly run through some of Coyote Peterson’s videos that could definitely be in the running for the most outrageous.

STUNG by a GIANT HORNET!

The arrival of murder hornets, also known as Asian giant hornets, in the United States caused hysteria among common Americans. But one not-so-common American wasn’t intimidated. In classic Coyote style, he let one of these fiendish hornets (that killed 41 people in China, have been known to behead colonies of bees, and also kill mice) sting him directly on the arm.

Once stung by the murder hornet, there seemed to be a delayed effect. As Coyote described, a wave of dizziness came over him before he started yelling, as he often does with such painful stings. I’ve always been impressed with his ability to keep his screams of agony PG-rated.

ALLIGATOR BITE!

Personally, I think I’d prefer to be bit by a small alligator than experience the venom of a murder hornet coursing through my veins. However, the fact that Coyote Peterson would willingly allow an alligator to bite his arm is unbelievable.

Perhaps the worst thing about this video is how long it took the alligator to let go of his arm. Not only do you have to feel the alligator’s teeth piercing your skin, but then you have to feel it biting down harder and harder over a matter of minutes.

Full-grown alligators have a bite force that can be as strong as 3,000 psi. And while the alligator in this video was only two years old and probably only generated a fraction of that force, letting it bite your arm is still a pretty maniacal feat.

STUNG by a BULLET ANT!

If you’ve never heard of a bullet ant, it’s said to have the most painful sting of any insect on Earth. The pain of being stung by a bullet ant has been likened to the feeling of being shot with a gun, hence the name. So, naturally, Coyote Peterson had to let himself get stung by one. And, judging by his reaction, it wasn’t all that pleasant.

When it comes to bullet ants, though, there are actually some people out there that make Coyote look kind of like a wimp (and that’s saying something). The Sateré-Mawé people that live deep in the Amazon have a ritual in which, in order to become a man of the tribe, they must wear gloves filled with bullet ants for ten minutes while performing a dance. The ritual is supposed to represent the idea that a life without suffering isn’t a life worth living. Well, personally, I think I’d rather be dead.

STUNG by an EXECUTIONER WASP!

While the bullet ant has the most painful sting by some standards, Peterson has said that the worst pain he’s ever felt was the sting of the executioner wasp, which is mostly found in Central and South America but has also been known to live in Arizona and parts of southern Texas. The name of this wasp alone is enough to inspire fear in the hearts of anyone who’s unfortunate enough to see one in the wild. Not to mention, that sting is no joke.

Immediately after being stung by the executioner wasp, Coyote curls up into the fetal position and begins to scream wildly. And while the initial wave of pain definitely seemed the worst, the lingering agony seemed pretty unbearable as well.

Where’s Coyote Peterson Now?

These days, Coyote Peterson is still trekking off into the jungle in search of rare and amazing animals. However, he’s said that he probably won’t be doing any more sting or bite videos. I think that’s a smart decision. You’ve tested fate enough, Coyote. It’s time to hang up the gloves.

While Coyote is still making YouTube videos for the Brave Wilderness channel, a lot of his efforts these days are being focused on his new television show on Animal Planet titled Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild, which premiered in February of 2020. I guess Coyote Peterson’s story goes to show that with a willingness to do the extreme and an absurdly high pain tolerance, you can achieve great things.