LOL wrote:

I live in a very small town (pop appx. 3,000) in a fairly large county
that's mostly rural, and it's not uncommon to see a bobcat running
across the road. The local police have said that you could be
*amazed* at the wildlife roaming the street in the middle of the
night. Bobcats, coyotes, the occasional bear, etc. You can find
alligators basking on warm paved roads near ponds on any summer night.
We also have panthers, but they are rare, and are mostly, but not
always, found waaay out in the woods. One memorably stalked our
in-the-city-limits neighborhood for several days before heading back
to friendlier territory, and a few d*gs disappeared during that time.

As man encroaches more and more upon their territory, the wild critters
become bolder (if survival means a change of diet from their natural
prey, they'll adapt). There was a PBS special, not too long ago, about
the "wild life" in New York City, of all places! And raccoons and
oppossums are quite common in many areas of Los Angeles (as well as
coyotes, who venture a good deal further into urban areas, to hunt, than
most people realize).