Overview
- Louisville, Toledo and Phoenix zoos evacuated visitors Friday after phone threats, and the Columbus Zoo cleared guests Saturday following a reported bomb and active-shooter threat.
- Police, bomb squads and K9 units swept each site and found no explosive devices, with Phoenix reopening Saturday and Columbus saying it will resume normal operations Sunday.
- Phoenix police said preliminary evidence points to swatting, a false emergency report intended to draw a tactical law enforcement response.
- The evacuations moved large crowds to safety, including more than 2,000 guests and about 500 staff at the Phoenix Zoo, and officials described the departures as calm and orderly.
- Investigations remain active across jurisdictions after similar threats at other U.S. zoos this spring, a pattern that has triggered repeated precautionary closures and heavy police responses.