UPDATE: this coyote pup sadly died of distemper, which is the infection the pup was likely suffering from when found. Botanist Joey Sartore gave an interview recently discussing what happened and what he learned from it. Our best advice is to contact experts when finding wildlife that seems to need help, as he notes.
When a thickly accented botanist runs across a sick coyote pup in the wilderness, he does his best to catch the little guy and get him cleaned up to go to a wildlife rehab, all the while lecturing him in the charmingly crass idiom of his Chicago homeland. (Da Bears!) You gotta have the sound on.
Botanist wiseguy meets coyote shy guy
The combination of over-the-top Chicago accent and adorable coyote pup in this aww-worthy video is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Serenading a desert tortoise
Roving botanist and YouTuber Joey Santore discovered the little dude while on a hike to check out some carnivorous pitcher plants in northern California. You can see the full and uncensored clip here.
Rescuing a rattlesnake (caution: swearing)
Joey’s Youtube channel, Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, is filled with fascinating deep-dive nature walks across North America, with Joey’s narration dropping ecological science and windy city attitude in equal measure.
Rescuing a 7-legged tarantula
Joey may be deep dish crusty on the outside, but inside, he’s got a molten mozzarella heart of gold. He has saved tarantulas and rattlesnakes, sung to a tortoise, and frequently points out native fauna in his videos.
Get to know Joey Sartore
Joey’s mission is to let people know more about the world around them, especially those who might not have had access to a lot of formal education. He tells WTTW:
“There’s this whole other world out there waiting to be discovered, and you could spend your whole life learning about it and reading about it and not know everything, so I want to show people that, I want to show them what else is out there. That’s my whole M.O., that’s all I care about.”
We hope Joey enjoys his 15 minutes of internet fame and is inspired by the positive attention to share more animal videos from his travels.
Follow Joey’s YouTube channel and Podcast for more humorous and heartwarming moments in the life of an amateur botanist with an attitude.
Hat Tip: WTTW Chicago
