One of the reasons I enjoy running, especially with my family, is that we typically choose areas where there is a lot of wildlife. For example, when we run the Lafayette Reservoir we typically count how many deer, see if the white crane is fishing, try to find the turtles, and dodge the wild turkeys.
When we run Mt Diablo, we find tarantulas, unique snakes, tons of deer and turkey. And as I mentioned last week, when run on Mt Diablo with my running buddy Ryan and mentioned we saw a bobcat. We know there are also wild hogs and cougars on the mountain so we typically take special precaution.
In fact last week Ryan was doing a night run (getting ready for his first 100-miler) he came across tons of wildlife: owls, deer, and the shadowy figure of a Mountain Lion.
So when I came across this story which a runner encountered a wild pack of veracious raccoons. Mind you these are the legendary wild urban raccoons of Lakewood, Washington. That said, it really illustrates why you need to be aware of the wild life you may face. 
When raccoons form gangs, trouble will follow. I love all the wildlife too - it really makes being out on the trails much more fun. You are fortunate to have such great parks so close (and a family that loves to visit them often!).
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