Cornell Students Skinned a Bear On Campus: Yale Would Call It Performance Art

OMG! Two Cornell University students have sparked controversy after skinning a black bear inside a communal dorm kitchen. Yes, you read that right. Forget study groups and microwave popcorn — these guys went full frontier mode. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, two students with valid hunting licenses legally harvested a bear, brought it back to Ganędagǫ: Hall, and started processing it in the shared kitchen.

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The students reportedly held valid New York hunting licenses, making the bear harvest itself legal. The issue arose when they decided to process the animal inside the dormitory kitchen — a shared space used by other students for everyday cooking. Campus police received a complaint, and a report was filed, but no charges have been issued.

According to the Cornell Sun, black bear hunting season begins as early as Sept. 6 in the southern zone of the state. I know what you’re thinking, Connecticut readers: “At least this didn’t happen at UConn.” Can you imagine Huskies students skinning a bear in the Towers dorm?

Bear-Skinning Scandal at Cornell — Could It Happen in New Haven?

Since Sunday evening, photos of the bear carcass sprawled across a dorm kitchen counter have been circulating on Reddit and Sidechat, sparking a wave of student backlash. Others zeroed in on the bear’s size, speculating it may have been a cub. That detail raised further questions, since hunting cubs is prohibited in New York’s southern zone.

Read More: What You Should Never Do If Attacked By a Bear In Connecticut |

University officials quickly closed the kitchen “until further notice,” citing sanitation and safety concerns. Health experts note that bear meat can carry trichinosis, a parasite that can be transmitted if meat isn’t handled or cooked properly.