Students at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, are not facing charges after skinning and butchering a black bear inside a dormitory kitchen.

The two students, unnamed by university officials, legally hunted the black bear and brought it into the dorm Sept. 6, according to the university.

A Cornell spokesperson told The Cornell Daily Sun that “a police report was made when a complaint was filed late Sunday night, but no charges have been filed.”

Black bear hunting season started as early as Sept. 6 in some parts of New York. However, some people speculated the slain bear was a cub, which would have been an illegal kill.

A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spokesperson told the Ithaca Voice that “upon investigation, DEC determined that the bear (approximately 120 pounds) was lawfully taken in DEC’s Region 4 and there were no violations of the Environmental Conservation Law.”

Cornell is located in Tompkins County, New York, in environmental region 7; the nearest counties in region 4 are Otsego County and Delaware County, New York.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.