New Trend: Fake Bomb Threats at Zoos

Zoos are now dealing with a menace more familiar to schools and malls: fake bomb and shooter threats that shut everything down. Remy Tumin reports in the New York Times that roughly 40 zoos and aquariums nationwide have been hit by suspected "swatting" hoaxes since spring, from Florida to Ohio to Kentucky and Colorado. At Zoo Miami, bogus threats landed four days in a row in March, triggering full evacuations, police sweeps, and tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue—plus a $1 million upgrade to security cameras.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums says no animals have been harmed or neglected; staff simply lock them in for the night early. But the hoaxes targeting family-focused institutions, also described by the AP, are consuming money and law-enforcement time, and investigators say the calls are hard to trace and often go unprosecuted—something cybercrime experts warn only encourages the trolls. Zoos are now holding emergency briefings and running drills to respond quickly when the next call comes. For the full picture on how and why zoos became the latest swatting targets, read the piece at the Times.