POWELL, Ohio, May 5, 2026, 13:12 EDT
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium evacuated guests and staff on Tuesday after a phone call reported a potential active-shooter threat, the second shutdown at the Ohio zoo in four days. The zoo said the threat was cleared by local law enforcement and zoo security at 11:40 a.m., but the park would remain closed for the rest of the day.
The closure matters because it is no longer a one-off scare. U.S. zoos have been hit in recent days by hoax calls alleging bombs or shooters, a pattern authorities have described as swatting — false emergency reports meant to trigger a police response.
The FBI’s Cleveland office said it was aware of threats involving “a number of zoos and other entities” and was working with law enforcement partners to judge credibility, share information and take investigative action. It urged the public to report suspicious information to the FBI or local police. Cleveland19
The Columbus Zoo said the Tuesday call came into its call center at 9:54 a.m. Zoo leadership, working with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, ordered the evacuation “out of an abundance of caution,” and said all guests, staff and animals were safe. Spectrum News 1
Deputies remained on site while zoo security teams maintained a secured perimeter, WSYX reported. The zoo said it was following established safety protocols while authorities assessed the situation.
Saturday’s disruption was similar but broader: the Columbus Zoo received a bomb and active-shooter threat at 2:18 p.m., evacuated an estimated 3,000 people, and later said a sweep with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department and Columbus police found no suspicious items. Columbus Zoo President and CEO Tom Schmid told ABC 6, “we did the right thing,” referring to the evacuation. WSYX
Other Ohio zoos have faced the same pressure. The Akron Zoo was evacuated Sunday after a bomb and active-shooter threat, and police found nothing suspicious, Cleveland 19 reported. “They responded very quickly,” Akron Zoo Director of Marketing and Events Elena Bell said of police and fire crews. Cleveland19
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo also evacuated Sunday after a reported threat. Jacqueline Gerling, the zoo’s director of communications, said the zoo cleared the premises out of caution and expected to reopen the next day.
The wave moved beyond Ohio on Tuesday. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo closed after what a city official called “a series of threatening calls,” and CEO Jim Wharton said the zoo’s priority was “the safety and well-being” of visitors, staff and animals. Connecticut Post
The risk is that even a call later judged false still has to be treated as real in the first minutes. A slow response could leave a crowded public venue exposed; a fast one can empty a park, draw armed officers and unsettle families before police know what they are facing.
The Columbus Zoo did not announce a Tuesday reopening. It said updates would be shared as more information became available.
