Big Predators of the Past and Present. Predators such as ocelots, jaguars, and red wolves once inhabited the Big Thicket Region, but habitat fragmentation and hunting contributed to their extirpation. The area was famous for its black bear populations, but these too were hunted heavily for over 100 years until they were extirpated from southeast Texas in the 1950’s. However, the good news is that bears may be making a comeback from surrounding states. Regional resource managers have been documenting bear sightings in Eastern Texas and believe there is a good chance that individual bears either from the Louisiana subspecies of the American black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) or from the Ozark region populations may eventually re-establish in the area. Areas of the preserve could serve as core home range areas for these bears who use large hollow trees as denning sites and love to feed on the abundant mast crops. Big Predators of the Past and Present - Big Thicket National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)