Cornell University Bans Processing of Wild Game on Campus

Cornell University has implemented a ban on processing wild game in school kitchens. This decision comes after an incident involving students who prepared a bear carcass in a dormitory kitchen. The policy explicitly states, “Processing wild/game animals in community kitchens is strictly prohibited.”

The rule was introduced in response to an event from 2025 when two students brought a black bear carcass to Cornell’s Ganędagǫ Hall. Aaron Chin, one of the students involved, later identified himself on a podcast. Chin explained that they had initially intended to process the bear at a friend’s house, but an unforeseen emergency necessitated using the campus kitchen.

“We were really diligent in reading all of the rules… We made sure we did everything by the book,” Chin stated on the MeatEater podcast.

The incident led to reactions both online and on-campus. State regulators conducted an investigation, but New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation found no violations after inspecting the site.

Cornell’s new rule aims to prevent similar occurrences in the future. For additional comments, Cornell and Chin have been contacted by Fox News Digital.