That's us - or so we'd like to think. But ask anybody who's been laid low with a case of the flu for two weeks and you might get a more humble answer.

Humans are part of the food chain; we are both predator and prey. Ultimately, our well-being depends on the health of the entire ecosystem.

Part of what keeps an ecosystem healthy is the presence of large predators such as mountain lions, which keep the deer population in check.

Mountain lions are crepuscular predators, which means they are most active at dawn, dusk and nighttime. These solitary hunters are territorial and in our local mountains their territories range in size from 40 square miles (females) to 150 square miles (males).

Deer are their primary source of food, but they will also eat raccoons, rabbits and birds.

And yes, they have been known to attack people. But since 1890, there have been only 16 documented cases of mountain lion attacks on people in California. Your odds of being struck by lightening are 1,000 times greater than being attacked by a mountain lion.

Right now, our local ecosystem is suffering from a severe drought, whose impact can be observed in a number of ways. Herbivores, plant-eaters like rabbits and deer are searching for green plants and water.

Our landscaped homes provide both.

Carnivores, meat-eaters like mountain lions, follow the deer. And if deer aren't available, they'll attack livestock. Reports of livestock attacks are much more common, especially as we have built more homes in mountain lion habitat.

There are steps we can take to protect our livestock and pets, including putting our livestock and pets inside at night, clearing brush and installing outdoor lighting.

There are common-sense steps we can take to protect ourselves, such as not hiking alone and keeping our children nearby. If you do see a mountain lion, stand tall, yell loudly and do not run.

For more information about safety guidelines, visit the California Department of Fish and Game at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/lion.html.

For downloadable brochures, go to http://www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/docs/lionbrochure.pdf.

According to the California Department of Fish and Game, "More than half of California is Mountain Lion habitat." This includes the Santa Clarita Valley. So stay humble and take proper precautions to protect your pets, your livestock and yourselves.

You can listen to stories like this every Friday morning at 7:10 a.m. on "The Hike Report," brought to you by your hometown radio station KHTS (AM1220) and by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

For our complete hike and activity schedule and for trail maps, go to www.LAMountains.com.

To see what's playing on radio station KHTS, go to www.hometownstation.com/or tune in to AM 1220.