The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and the National Park Service all say there have been no panther attacks on humans in Florida.
Nonetheless, they provide a poster which tells how to behave if you encounter a panther. It is at
http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/pan...ety%20tips.pdf .
I have hunted in Central Florida, including Sumter County, for decades without encountering panther sign.
However, Taltarzac725's "big stick" idea is not a bad one. You are much more likely to encounter a coyote in The Villages at night than a panther.
John W mentions wild "bores" around Heron Landing. I have encountered
bores all over The Villages, but so far no
boars.
My hunting partner since the 1950s, who grew up and hunted in the area which is now The Villages, is on the right in the photo below. The boar was killed in Dixie County, Florida, in swamplands.