They only hoped they would never see the elephant.
rabbits
One way that wildlife could be dangerous to the pioneers that traveled west was by attacking the pioneers. They could also be attracted to their food and take it.
They could keep warm in the heat or scavenge ant hunt for food and animal pelts.
to keep them warm
Bison, deer, elk, bear, rabbits, squirrels, muskrat, beaver, chipmunks, snakes, birds of all kinds, and the trip went well if they never saw the elephant.
Life on Fire Wildlife on the Volcano's Edge - 2013 Pioneers of the Deep 1-6 was released on: USA: February 2013
because they could go to the bathroom behind a tree
I would expect to find Koala bears and kangaroos.
The pioneers saw oak trees and regular trees
I would expect them to be a vet who treats, cures, looks after and put down etc exotic wildlife. They would need to be trained as a wildlife vet, and probably first start as a pet/general vet.
We see this happen everyday. Wildlife is what you find in zoos.
Animals and wildlife were very helpful to them. The buffalo was a great source of food for the native Americans and the pioneers and homesteaders. Deer and other game animals fed and kept clothes on their backs. Plants were used to make medicine and some roots were used to make tea. Wildlife was the main way of life on the plains. If there was no animals to hunt, fish to catch, or crops to harvest they starved to death. More and better information could be found in a good book.