Phoenix Zoo evacuated due to bomb threat; may have been a swatting call: police

PHOENIX - The Phoenix Zoo was evacuated on May 1 around noon because of a bomb threat. Staffers were able to get everyone out and closed for the rest of the day as a precaution.

Zoo officials say several other zoos around the country, including the Toledo and Louisville zoos, received threats as well.

Police say when officers arrived at the scene, "they secured the area, and with the combined effort of searching the zoo, there were no bombs located."

At this point, there's no indication the threat was real.

What they're saying:

Around 2 p.m. on Twitter, officials stated, "After receiving a bomb threat at noon today, along with several other zoos across the country, the Phoenix Zoo was evacuated. Out of an abundance of caution, we will be closed for the remainder of the day. We plan to reopen tomorrow at 8 a.m. We appreciate the cooperation of all guests who were in the Zoo at the time, which allowed for a successful evacuation of the Zoo grounds."

"Preliminary information suggests this may have been a swatting call," stated Lorraine Fernandez of the Phoenix Police Department.

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