Bomb threat clears out Central Florida Zoo in Sanford, deputies say no danger

A bomb threat emptied the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford on Sunday afternoon, sending visitors and staff out of one of Seminole County’s most visible family destinations while deputies checked the grounds. After a sweep and inspection, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office said the threat was not credible and the zoo was cleared to reopen.

The zoo said it evacuated everyone on site immediately and coordinated with law enforcement throughout the response. Officials said safety for both people and animals remained the top priority as deputies secured the property and verified there was no ongoing danger. No injuries were reported, and the scare ended without a prolonged shutdown.

The disruption landed on a venue that draws weekend families, tourists and school-aged children, and that advertises more than 100 animals along with an aerial adventure course, a tropical splash pad and botanical gardens. The zoo said it would reopen Monday morning and return to its regular summer operating hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., restoring normal access after a brief but visible emergency response in Sanford.

The incident offered a clear example of how local authorities handle threat calls at crowded public sites: clear the area first, secure the scene, then determine whether the danger is real. In this case, that process was completed quickly enough for the zoo to resume operations the next day, suggesting the facility’s emergency procedures and its coordination with the sheriff’s office worked as intended. Even so, the evacuation briefly interrupted family plans and shifted law enforcement resources toward a high-profile attraction in the heart of Seminole County.

The scare also fit a pattern local residents have seen before. Seminole County agencies responded to a bomb-threat-related incident on Interstate 4 in Sanford in April, when no explosives were found and lanes later reopened. Taken together, the cases show how seriously county officials treat threat calls, and how quickly a normal day in Sanford can turn into a public-safety operation before returning to routine.