For Immediate Release: February 2, 2009

Contact: Camilla Fox, 415-690-0338

Project Coyote & Living World Films Announce New Film:
American Coyote — Still Wild at Heart

San Francisco, CA —Project Coyote- in partnership with Living World Films- is excited to announce the launch of a new documentary, American Coyote — Still Wild at Heart. This compelling thirty minute film produced by San-Francisco based filmmaker, Melissa Peabody, is a virtual case study of the coyote’s natural range expansion continent wide. While the film unfolds with the return of coyotes to the San Francisco Bay area, it pursues the coyote’s story across the North American landscape —from Northern California to New York City's Central Park to Chicago, and points in between.

Through interviews with coyote experts, ecologists, and researchers, we learn about the remarkable adaptability and intelligence of this successful native carnivore and the challenges and opportunities coyotes provide to both urban and rural communities. In rural west Marin County, California, we meet a rancher participating in an innovative pilot non-lethal predator-coexistence program who discusses how improved fencing, guard llamas and livestock guard dogs have helped reduce conflicts with coyotes. Project Coyote founding director, Camilla Fox, discusses the problems with traditional coyote management and the important ecological role coyotes can play as top carnivores in fragmented ecosystems. Dr. Stanley Gehrt of Ohio State University takes viewers out in search of radio-collared coyotes in the heart of Chicago, Illinois where he and his team have been tracking more than 200 coyotes for the last eight years — the longest urban coyote study carried out to date.

This lyrical 30 minute natural history film entertains as it informs, providing valuable information and insights into the unfolding life history of the ever adaptable, resilient, and clever coyote ~ America’s iconic canine. American Coyote — Still Wild at Heart reveals the fascinating and complex world of Canis latrans— their keen intelligence, amazing adaptability, and resiliency to intense human persecution,” said Camilla Fox, Project Coyote Founding Director. “We hope to help spread this film far and wide as we believe it will help bring greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation for America’s native wild dog.”

“I made this film because I was so moved by the arrival of this animal on a small hill above my home in the center of urban San Francisco,” said Melissa Peabody, producer and editor of American Coyote—Still Wild At Heart. “I couldn't help but imagine its truly incredible journey through dense city neighborhoods and industrial zones, across freeways and busy roadways just to get to this tiny patch of urban open space. My pursuit of questions about the unbelievably resilient coyote became this film. And I hope it will give viewers the same appreciation for this remarkable creature that I now have," Peabody said.

As a special promotion, Project Coyote is providing a free copy of American Coyote — Still Wild at Heart for all donations of $100 or more (as well as a free one year subscription to the award-winning Earth Island Journal). For more information visit our donate page.

Read a review of the film in the March 2009 edition of Animal People here.

Project Coyote seeks to create fundamental and systemic change in how coyotes and other native carnivores are viewed and treated in North America and is a fiscally sponsored project of Earth Island Institute a, 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All donations to Project Coyote are tax deductible.