Zoo Atlanta evacuated due to bomb threat hoax over the weekend, officials say
Atlanta police are searching for answers after a bomb threat forced the evacuation of Zoo Atlanta over the weekend. Authorities say the threat, which prompted the zoo to clear all guests and staff on Saturday, was ultimately a hoax, but it's part of a troubling national trend.
Officials believe the incident may be linked to a recent wave of threats targeting zoos, schools, and public spaces across the country. CBS News affiliates report that at least five other zoos received similar bomb or active shooter threats over the weekend, all of which turned out to be false alarms.
Some Grant Park residents told CBS Atlanta they're now more cautious as they venture out. "It's really safe. That's why I'm super concerned about the bomb threat. I had no idea," said Nicki Sutherland, who regularly visits the zoo with her son. "That's so scary with the way the world is nowadays. Especially, like, with phishing. It happened to his school a couple years ago. So, it's crazy. I hope people just calm down."
Others, like a father walking with his young son, seemed less worried. "It feels like it's people just calling in stuff. I'm not too worried about it. You see it all over on the news. Stuff like that, nothing ever comes of it," he said.
Zoo Atlanta staff say they had created a new safety protocol for bomb threats just days before Saturday's incident, in response to the spate of threats at other zoos. "We only came up with a code for bomb threat in the last couple of weeks because of what's been happening with the other zoos around the country, and we didn't think we would actually have to use it," a zoo employee told CBS News Atlanta. Following the threat, Atlanta Police brought in bomb-sniffing dogs to sweep the property, but no explosives were found.
Neighbors say they appreciate the zoo's proactive measures, even as they adapt to a new sense of caution. "It's good that they're taking precautions for that stuff," said one woman walking her dog. "But it's hard to navigate these challenging things that come up."
Sutherland says the experience has made her family more vigilant. "I guess it just makes us more cautious about where we go, large crowds and stuff. We just prefer to stay home and do small, play activities," she said.
Sutherland's son, Elijah Donaldson, had a message for whoever is responsible: "It's a bad prank. You shouldn't prank the zoos."
Atlanta police have not released any information about potential suspects, and the investigation remains ongoing. Meanwhile, Zoo Atlanta has resumed normal business hours, but the incident serves as another reminder of the challenges public spaces face amid a wave of nationwide threats.
