No Bones About It: Cornell Suggests Composting Dead Deer

Ithaca, NY (WIBX) - Cornell University is hoping more people will start composting... using dead animals.

According to Jean Bonhotal with the Cornell Waste Management Institute, composting is the most effective and safe way to dispose of dead animals, compared to other means, including rendering.

"If we do it well, we can make a 1,200 pound animal disappear in three months," Bonhotal said. "The bones will still be there, but the carcass will be gone."

Though many people will simply bury their animal "six feet under," fluids released from those animals may leak into the water table, spreading bacteria and viruses into potable water.

However, animals suffering from mad cow, chronic wasting disease or other nuero-degenerative disorders must be incinerated to avoid spread of the disease.

Bonhotal says the composting process is sometimes scoffed at by farmers and others who want to quickly rid themselves of the problem, but they tend to pay for their mistakes later on.

The Waste Management Institute has already partnered with the New York State Department of Transportation, and is composting picked up roadkill.