Updated
Updated · KOMO News · Jul 3
Woodland Park Zoo Reopens After Bomb Threat Evacuates 3,700, as Police Find No Explosives
Updated
Updated · KOMO News · Jul 3

Woodland Park Zoo Reopens After Bomb Threat Evacuates 3,700, as Police Find No Explosives

3 articles · Updated · KOMO News · Jul 3

Summary

  • 2 p.m. marked Woodland Park Zoo’s reopening after Seattle police cleared the grounds following a bomb threat reported shortly after 11 a.m.
  • About 3,500 visitors and 200 camp children were evacuated while officers swept the zoo and found no bombs, prompting re-entry approval by early afternoon.
  • Zoo officials said they treated the threat as a real emergency despite similar recent swatting hoaxes targeting dozens of zoos and aquariums nationwide.
  • Ticket holders can reschedule or request refunds, and the zoo said summer camps will resume Monday after the holiday-weekend disruption.

Insights

As fake bomb threats plague US zoos, can new technology unmask the culprits behind the chaos?
With swatting calls wasting millions, how can police distinguish a real threat from a costly hoax?