Zoo Miami reopens after days of receiving bomb threats

Families say they still feel safe after slew of hoax threats targeting Zoo Miami Zoo Miami reopened Monday morning after a weekend filled with bomb scares.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — Zoo Miami reopened Monday morning after a weekend filled with bomb scares.

Investigators say three bomb threats were called in over the last three days, each one specifically mentioning the zoo, forcing it to shut down early on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“I felt like it was weird to target a zoo. So definitely I thought it must be some type of hoax. Definitely I feel safe,” Dinesh Jayabrakasan, who is visiting from Texas, said.

Investigators say the calls appear to be “swatting” incidents -- false reports meant to trigger a large law enforcement response.

Local 10 cameras were there Sunday as deputies swept the zoo and the surrounding area using K-9’s, but they did not find any threats.

“What I saw on the news is that (there’s) going to be (an) extra security check at the zoo’s entrance today, so probably that helps, I guess,” Jayabrakasan said.

Ms. Crecenzio-Bau, who is visiting from Brazil, said she heard about the threats initially on Instagram.

Despite the scares, many families said they still feel comfortable coming to the zoo.

“I think that it’s gonna be OK,” Crecenzio-Bau said.

Extra security was still present at the zoo’s entrance Monday with deputies and K-9 units stationed near the front gates.

Officials say this added presence is meant to reassure guests, as they continue investigating the calls and work to keep visitors safe.

Detectives say each threat is taken seriously, even when they turn out to be hoaxes.

The zoo says these additional security measures will remain in place as authorities continue to try and find out who is behind these fake threats.

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About The Author
Trent Kelly

Trent Kelly

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.