A witness to his mother’s death at the hand of a man, the coyote, Chico, has learned to hate and fear him. Taken into captivity and exhibited in a small desert roadside zoo, he learns much but never loses his bitterness toward his enemy: man. Chico makes his escape and bounds off for a life of adventure in the desert where he mates with Tula. He sees an eagle grab one of his pups and worries when his mate raids a chicken coop. Realizing the dangers of man, Chico decides to take his family deeper into the desert to help his family try to win the battle for survival.