Willow, the furry critters here are mostly afraid of humans. There's only two that look at us as prey. Grizzlies and mountain lions. Although, moose kill a lot of people every year.
While here in the South, we have every biting insect and snake there are, your's are much more a problem for you. You have crocs, we have gators.
Fun story:
One year, the whole family is in a cabin in North Georgia. Top of the mountain state park, beautiful place. We're all out on the back porch relazing when my sister exclaims: "A bear!"
I look and see bear hindquarters going around the end of the cabin. Being a man of photographic action, I leap up, run, grab a camera, bound out the front door, around the van...
And there's the bear.
20 yards away. Full grown black bear. 250 pounds.
Looking at me with real fear in it's eyes. It was scared. I look bigger than a black bear because I'm vertical.
Camera starts going click click click. The rest of the family catches up to me and starts retreating inside. Other cabin renters are going about their business. I yell out: "people, pay attention!" I hear ochits as people retreat inside.
Surrounded and aghast, the bear does the only thing it can. It runs like hell. Straight up the road. No retreat to the woods for this one. I got a few more "action" photos of this critter.
Black bears see us as bigger than them. If one confronts you, you raise your arms and scream. Be even bigger.