Wild Game Processing Ban at Cornell University: The Aftermath of the Bear Butchering Incident
Cornell University has implemented a new policy prohibiting the processing of wild game in school kitchens following an incident where two students gained attention for butchering a bear in a dormitory kitchen. The school's updated rule explicitly states that processing wild or game animals in community kitchens is not allowed. This change was directly linked to the 2025 incident involving two students who brought a black bear carcass into Cornell's Ganędagǫ Hall for preparation.
One of the students involved in the bear butchering incident, Aaron Chin, later disclosed his role in the act on a podcast. Chin and his hunting partner, both Cornell students, had initially planned to prepare the bear at a friend's house after hunting it two hours away from the school. However, due to an unforeseen emergency at the friend's house, they decided to bring the bear meat onto campus. Chin emphasized that they had thoroughly reviewed campus rules and regulations to ensure compliance before bringing the bear meat on campus.
The incident sparked significant backlash on social media and within the campus community, leading state regulators to launch an investigation. Despite the controversy, an inspection by New York's Department of Environmental Conservation at the kitchen where the bear was carved found no violations of the code, as reported by NBC.
For further insights and comments on this matter, Fox News Digital reached out to both Cornell University and Aaron Chin.