CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, Oct. 5, 2026 — Just after 4 p.m. Monday, 911 received a bomb threat against the Cape May County Park & Zoo in Cape May Court House.
What we heard on the scanner
- 4:10 p.m.: Dispatch told units a caller said a device had been placed somewhere in the zoo and would go off in 20 minutes.
- 4:14 p.m.: Middle Township officers blocked the zoo entrances on Route 9 and Route 657.
- 4:15 p.m.: The Sheriff's Office called every nearby K-9 unit to the zoo.
- 4:17 p.m.: An officer reported that the call was automated and used a voice changer, and that it hung up when the dispatcher asked questions.
- 4:21–4:30 p.m.: Officers cleared visitors from the grounds, then searched the gate area, the pavilions, the restrooms and the trash cans in the back lot, calling each one clear.
What the county said
- The zoo went into lockdown. Visitors and staff were evacuated, and the animals were secured.
- The Cape May County Sheriff's Office and Middle Township Police investigated.
- Four bomb-sniffing dogs searched the zoo and the park and found nothing. The grounds were declared all clear.
- Teams planned to sweep the grounds again Tuesday morning, Oct. 6.
"The safety of our visitors, our staff, and the animals in our care is always the first priority," said Commissioner Director Leonard C. Desiderio.
False bomb threats have disrupted zoos across the country this year. Anyone with information should contact the Cape May County Sheriff's Office or Middle Township Police.
Sources: Cape May Scanner radio archive; Cape May County.