Southern California Safety

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• Crime can be high in certain parts of southern California, particularly in the Los Angeles area, although the media tends to exaggerate this sometimes. However, some areas are extremely good and safe. Los Angeles is a extremely diverse place.
• Many tourists may suffer respiratory problems due to the pollution in the air closer to southern California's major metropolitan areas. Drink plenty of fluids and keep outdoors activities within the city itself to a minimum.
• There are no extremely dangerous animals in southern California. There are rattlesnakes in the open spaces, but they are typically shy and their bites are only considered to be potentially fatal to the very young and the elderly- even so, it's best to always be alert while hiking. Mountain lions (also known as pumas, cougars and catamounts) do exist in many (if not all) of the National Parks and open spaces in Southern California. These cats are, however, EXTREMELY shy and elusive- you have very little chance of seeing one, let alone being attacked by one. Most hikers who have been hiking these areas their whole lives have never even seen or heard a mountain lion. Attacks are rare but do happen every few years- make sure to always hike with another person, especially near dawn and dusk.

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