A popular Florida attraction spent four consecutive days responding to bomb threats last week, closing early three times before law enforcement identified the likely motive behind the calls.
Four Threats in Four Days
The first call came in on Friday, March 13. Zoo Miami immediately evacuated guests and shut down operations, with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office conducting a full security sweep of the premises. Shortly before 4:00 p.m., the park posted on Facebook confirming the all-clear:
The security sweep at Zoo Miami has been completed and the park has been cleared. We will remain closed for the rest of the day, but will reopen tomorrow with normal operating hours.
We thank our guests, staff, and community for their patience and cooperation. The safety of our guests, staff, and animals remains our top priority.
For any questions or if you had tickets for today, please contact zoomiami@miamidade.gov.
Saturday brought an identical situation. Another threat forced another early closure, another sweep, and another clean result. This time, Zoo Miami's Facebook update indicated that the park was implementing enhanced security measures:
Zoo Miami will reopen to the public tomorrow with enhanced security measures in place. In coordination with local law enforcement, additional protocols have been implemented out of an abundance of caution to help ensure the safety of our guests, staff, and animals.
Guests may notice an increased security presence, including K-9 units on site for screening and surveillance.
We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation and look forward to welcoming everyone back. Additional updates will be shared as needed.
Sunday made it three in a row. K-9 units from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office — already on site due to the previous threats — conducted another sweep after a third call came in. Zoo Miami posted a final update on Facebook:
Zoo Miami received another bomb threat today and out of an abundance of caution temporarily closed while deputies from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office including K-9 units already on site conducted a sweep. The park was quickly given the all clear.
Zoo Miami will reopen to the public on Monday with enhanced security measures in place. In coordination with local law enforcement, additional protocols have been implemented to help ensure the safety of our guests, staff, and animals.
Guests may notice an increased security presence, including K-9 units conducting screenings and patrols throughout the park.
We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation and look forward to welcoming everyone back. Additional updates will be shared as needed.
According to The Miami Herald, the fourth threat on Monday, March 16, arrived around 5:00 p.m. — the zoo's normal closing time — meaning guests had already exited for the day. Detectives cleared the property by 6:00 p.m. with no disruption to guest-facing operations.
Law Enforcement Points to Swatting
Detective Luis Sierra, spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, stated that investigators believe the calls are a form of swatting: deliberate hoaxes designed to provoke a large-scale law enforcement response. Despite that assessment, officials emphasized that every single threat was treated as credible and investigated thoroughly.
Zoo Miami has not received any further threats since March 16. The investigation into the source of the calls remains ongoing.
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