Wily hero, despised villain, or something in between? Love coyotes or hate them, don’t bet against them being in your backyard, under your porch, or even trotting down your city’s streets. What makes these wild canines icons of resilience?

We also watch a race on those city streets, myth vs myth, to see who spreads fastest or maybe who cheats best.

Peggy Anesi, Educator on Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension, makes a special return guest appearance to make the case for coyotes, talk about her decades-long love for them, and share a few really disturbing facts about owls.

Listen to “Never Bet Against Coyotes,” and subscribe to “30% Wild” at www.thirtywildpod.com

• What coyotes do for us
• How humans “make” wildlife
• Are coyotes dangerous, to us or our pets?
• Coyote packs, or not
• Coyote howls, sings, and calls
• “Babysitter” coyotes
• Coyotes vs foxes vs wolves vs dogs
• Wrestling with Smiley the friendly coyote
• What to do when you see a coyote, and why they follow people
• Why cities have more, not fewer, coyotes, and why we’re seeing them more
• Know your enemy - learn all you can about wildlife you hate or fear
• Chicago coyotes and the Urban Coyote Project
• Wildlife values, and how you get yours
• Includes the original story, “Home Field Advantage”