Part 1: The War on Wildlife — And the Science of Coexistence
In this powerful first installment of a two-part conversation, Fairlie Arrow and Stacy James sits down with Camilla Fox, founder and executive director of Project Coyote to uncover the hidden war being waged against America’s wildlife… and the science proving there is a better way forward.
Camilla shares her deeply personal journey into wildlife advocacy, shaped by a childhood rooted in compassion for animals and more than three decades spent on the front lines of conservation. From her early love of wild canines to founding Project Coyote in 2008, she explains why coyotes, one of North America’s most misunderstood and persecuted predators, became the organization’s flagship species.
We explore why coyotes are not villains, but vital ecosystem engineers. A single coyote can consume up to 1,800 rodents per year, helping maintain balance without poisons or pesticides. Yet despite their ecological importance, they remain one of the most targeted animals in the country.
In this episode, we also expose a little known federal program that kills more than a million native animals annually using taxpayer dollars, often through inhumane and scientifically ineffective methods. From leg-hold traps and aerial gunning to poisons and snares, most Americans have no idea how wildlife management policies are actually implemented.
But this is not just a story of conflict.
Camilla reveals a groundbreaking success story from Marin County, California, where lethal predator control was replaced with proven non-lethal coexistence strategies, including range riders, livestock guardian animals, fox lights, and better land stewardship. The results challenge decades of conventional thinking and demonstrate that coexistence isn’t a naïve dream it’s practical, humane, and effective.
This episode asks a fundamental question: If science shows that killing predators doesn’t work, are we willing to change?
Part 1 sets the stage for a deeper conversation about culture, policy, and the power of individual voices in shaping the future of wildlife.
Links: https://projectcoyote.org/
Films to watch :
Billy & Molly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkoNeESBH94
Love Over Money - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rbY_r9eQyU
Human & Other Animals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NZZOeNNYqg
Listen to Part 2: From Outrage to Action — How One Person Can Change the World for Wildlife.
Send a text
Support the show
Produced by Fairlie A Arrow & Kalamo Productions in partnership with the Human Wildlife Coexistence Initiative a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are a movement, a movement dedicated to protect wildlife, uplift communities, and safeguard ecosystems.
Through powerful films and advocacy, we share urgent, hopeful stories that turn awareness into action—connecting people of all ages with the importance of preserving the natural world and building a future where humans and animals thrive together. Stacy James from Dazzle Africa also drops in to several episodes as guest host.
PROTECT COEXIST....THRIVE
https://humanwildlifecoexistenceinitiative.org
https://www.kalamoproductions.com
https://www.instagram.com/Kalamoproductions