SEBRING - An 81-year-old Sebring woman arrested late last year after being accused of illegally feeding bears, was again arrested this week and accused of violation of probation, besides threatening to kill an officer, according to a report. Mary H. Musselman, 5240 Kenilworth Blvd., Sebring, was arrested by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and also charged with resisting an officer with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer. Musselman was placed on probation Jan. 24 for two counts of feeding black bears, according to a probable cause affidavit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Originally, she had been placed on diversion, meaning that if she didn't violate the law for a certain period of time, her charges would have been removed the record. As part of her probation, Musselman had been ordered not to put out food for animals for a year, the affidavit said. "Feeding bears results in bears losing their fear of people," explained Gary Morse, FWC spokesperson. "It's pretty well known what the consequences are of feeding bears," Morse said. An FWCC officer visited Musselman and learned that she had been feeding one or more bears for several months, he said. On, Nov. 12, the bear she was feeding as of Nov. 8 was euthanized because it was deemed to be causing a problem, he said. Musselman reportedly told officers she had to feed the bears or they would starve to death. Eventually, she got a notice to appear in court on the charge of feeding bears, Morse said. After she was placed on probation, a judge ordered that FWCC officers check weekly on whether she was feeding animals. When they found that she was, a judge ordered her arrested and officers went to her residence on Jan. 29, the affidavit said. Musselman ordered the officers off her property, the report said, adding that when FWCC officers assisted by Highlands County deputies tried to arrest her, she lunged at them and kicked them, the affidavit said.
– An 81-year-old woman is in prison without bond for feeding bears vast quantities of dog food—and refusing to stop, officials say. Mary Musselman, a retired gym teacher, allegedly fed bears when they visited her property in Sebring, Florida. "We are talking about putting out as many as 17 or 18 bowls of dog food," a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission rep tells WFTS. Apparently the bears were big fans: They kept returning, CNN reports.Officials, who last year had to euthanize a bear Musselman was feeding, told her she had to stop. "Feeding bears results in bears losing their fear of people," a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission rep tells WFTS. But "she told us she wasn't going to stop." She reportedly kept feeding them despite repeated visits from wildlife officials carrying informational videos and brochures. Even a judge's warning wasn't enough to stop Musselman; apparently, she believed the bears would starve if she didn't feed them. Finally, officers arrived to arrest her—and she fought them, threatening to kill them, they say. She's charged with feeding wildlife, battery against an officer, and violating probation that had required her not to feed animals, per Highlands Today. Now her former students are coming to her aid, calling the arrest "outrageous" and looking for a mental health worker to join her in court. They say she needs to be released to continue to care for her husband, who has terminal cancer.