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Critter lovers will be riled up to learn that a reported morning bomb threat forced staff to close Zoo Miami for hours Tuesday morning. While obviously less important than zoo safety, parents will be perturbed to learn their own little animals might not be able to visit the zoo during their holiday break.
While Zoo Miami officials took to social media Tuesday morning to declare their belief that the matter is a hoax, they took the measure of closing the premises indefinitely until a full sweep reveals no threats. The threat’s nature wasn’t immediately clear, and Zoo Miami staff hadn’t responded to New Times’ calls and emails by the time of publication. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office also failed to respond to a request for comment.
“A potential threat was made against Zoo Miami. While the matter is believed to be a hoax, out of an abundance of caution, staff were evacuated and a security sweep of the park is underway,” Zoo Miami staff posted on social media at about 10:30 Tuesday morning. “The sweep is expected to take several hours, and Zoo Miami will have a delayed opening today.
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“There is no immediate threat to the public at this time. The safety of our guests, staff, and animals remains our top priority. Additional updates will be shared as appropriate, and the public will be notified once the zoo is cleared to reopen.”
The zoo reportedly requested bomb-sniffing dogs to run a security sweep after 10:35 a.m. on Tuesday, according to WSVN. “MDSO officials confirmed they completed a sweep of the zoo and did not find anything suspicious,” the story reads.
Far in the southwestern corner of the Magic City, Zoo Miami is a sprawling park home to 2,000 animals stretching across almost 750 acres of wildly varying biomes. Walking the entire zoo will cover approximately 4 miles, or about 10,000 steps (for those keeping track). It’s widely known as Florida’s largest zoo and the only tropical zoo in the continental U.S.
The zoo moved to its current location in 1980 from Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, where the zoo had lived since 1948. The zoo sponsors several animal rehabilitation efforts, with a full sea turtle hospital, the Florida Panther Recovery Program (aimed at policy-level decisions that can help the endangered species recover), and contributes to various wildlife conservation funds.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as events warrant.
