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Gatorland Orlando evacuated over suspected hoax bomb threat, deputies say

By
FOX 35 Orlando
Orange County News
Published June 9, 2026 5:22 PM EDT
Published June 9, 2026 5:22 PM EDT

The Brief

    • Gatorland Orlando was quickly evacuated on Tuesday afternoon after it received a bomb threat, officials said.
    • Deputies searched the property and did not find anything suspicious, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
    • The threat is suspected to be a hoax.
    • The Central Florida Zoo was the target of a hoax threat last Sunday. Many zoos and aquariums have been targeted by suspected hoax threats over the last several weeks and months. It's not known if all of them are connected.

ORLANDO, Fla - Orange County Sheriff's Office deputies swarmed Gatorland Orlando on Tuesday afternoon after the alligator wildlife park was the target of a suspected hoax bomb threat, the sheriff's office said.

What we know:

FOX 35 began receiving calls and reports of a large law enforcement presence at Gatorland shortly before 2 p.m. Photos and videos showed several law enforcement vehicles at the front entrance and in the parking lot, as well as a crowd of people waiting nearby.

OCSO said when deputies arrived, Gatorland management decided to evacuate.

Deputies searched the property and did not locate anything suspicious. OCSO said it believes the call was a hoax.

What they're saying:

"The safety of our staff, guests, and animals is always our top priority, and we will continue to follow our protocols to ensure the park is a safe and fun place for all" - Gatorland statement on the bomb threat.

Gatorland said it would be open on Wednesday, June 10, from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. 

Local perspective:

Last Sunday, the Central Florida Zoo said it had received a bomb threat and immediately evacuated zoo staff and guests. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office responded and inspected the zoo, finding nothing suspicious. The zoo reopened the following day.

The Source: The information is from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Orange County News