The Denver Zoo is offering refunds to the approximately 1,000 people who evacuated the grounds Tuesday afternoon after a man called in and threatened to crash a plane into the facility. Visitors who were at the zoo before it was shut down and have a receipt for their tickets can call the zoo or go to the office for a full refund, zoo spokesman Jake Kubie said Wednesday. Investigators are continuing their investigation into who made the call, a Denver police spokeswoman said. The call came in through the guest relations line about 3:30 p.m., Kubie said. The call was then transferred to the zoo’s security team, and the facility staff began evacuating visitors “almost immediately,” Kubie said. Zoo leadership then called Denver police, and officers arrived minutes later and helped usher people out. Police later determined that the threat was not credible. The zoo’s president, Bert Vescolani, said Tuesday evening that staff made the right call in evacuating the zoo, even though the threat ultimately was not substantiated. Kubie said he had no knowledge of any previous threats similar to the one on Tuesday. But he acknowledged that the zoo could be a target because of the large number of people it attracts each day. Visitors returned to the zoo Wednesday morning when it opened at its regular time. “It’s business as usual,” Kubie said.<doc-sep>DENVER — The Denver Zoo was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after what officials tweeted was a “credible security threat.” According to Denver Police, the zoo received a call from an unidentified individual threatening to fly an airplane into the facility. They later determined the threat was not credible and announced the park would reopen Wednesday. The Denver Zoo tweeted around 4 p.m. Tuesday that they received a "credible security threat" and that “The safety of our guests, staff and animals is our top priority and we are taking the necessary precautions.” They evacuated more than 1,000 guests from the park and moved animals to safety. Officers from the Denver Police Department were called in to help secure the facility. However, about 15 minutes later they tweeted that they are investigating but they have yet to deem the threat credible at this time. Dozens of evacuated guests were seen at the corner of East 23rd Avenue and York Street. A short time later, police allowed patrons who were evacuated to retrieve their vehicles. A spokesperson for the zoo told Denver7 that they are preparing to reopen the park Wednesday. The zoo released the following statement: "Our top priority is the safety and comfort of our guests, staff and animals. We take every threat very seriously and consistently review and practice our procedures to maintain the utmost safety standards. Denver Police has reopened 23rd Ave. and Denver Zoo will open tomorrow with normal hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)." Police said they are working with their federal partners to determine where the threat came from.<doc-sep>Cranbeary, a 16-year-old female, will leave in October for The Alaska Zoo. Lee, her 18-year-old mate, will depart later in the fall for Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. KUSA — Both of the the polar bears at the Denver Zoo are leaving the city in the coming weeks, the zoo announced on Tuesday. And while a release said the bears leaving is a "temporary departure," a zoo official told 9NEWS on Tuesday there is no timeline when polar bears will return to Denver. “We don’t have immediate plans on when they will come back,” said Brian Aucone, senior vice president for animal sciences at the Denver Zoo. Cranbeary, a 16-year-old female, will leave in October for The Alaska Zoo. Lee, her 18-year-old mate, will depart later in the fall for Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Both of the bears are leaving Denver at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan in the hopes they produce offspring with new mates. According to the release, there are only 44 polar bears in North American zoos currently, and the species faces increasing threats in the wild. "Denver Zoo is committed supporting the species and bringing polar bears back to the Zoo, which would require raising the necessary funds and sufficient time to plan for and construct a new, innovative exhibit," the release said. Aucone told 9NEWS the zoo officials have "learned a lot over the years" the polar bear exhibit has been around, and they want to make improvements on what polar bears need before they return to Denver. Despite the zoo's want for the bears to return, it's unclear when - or if - they ever will. “We don’t have the details. The cost. We don’t have the timeline of when that will happen," Aucone said. Denver Zoo’s two grizzly bears, Kootenai and Tundra, will move from Bear Mountain into the existing polar bear exhibit. "The decision to relocate Cranbeary and Lee will benefit the welfare of both polar bears in the long run.” said Hollie Colahan, vice president for animal care at Denver Zoo. If you'd like to say goodbye to Cranbeary and Lee, guests can visit the zoo and attend special "zookeeper talks" in front of the polar bear exhibit every Saturday and Sunday at 12 p.m. starting on October 6. In 2010, the Denver Zoo lost 25-year-old Frosty the polar bear to cancer. The zoo said he was the oldest male polar bear living in captivity in North America<doc-sep>
DENVER (CBS4) – The Denver Zoo was closed for more than an hour on Tuesday because of a security threat. Zoo officials first called it a credible security threat, but police and zoo officials later clarified said the threat has not been deemed credible. Police officials say a threat was called into the zoo, and they say the threat was of someone planning to crash a plane at the zoo. They add they’ve been in contact with several airports, but it’s unclear what information they’ve gathered from those conversations. Zoo visitors were evacuated from the property, but East 23rd Avenue and roads leading in and out of City Park are reopening. “We were getting minimal information, but it was something about a pilot flying around claiming that he was going to be crashing into or near the zoo, so they evacuated everyone and just kept pushing us further and further out,” said Karalee McMillan who was visiting the zoo with her daughters. Bert Vescolani, the new president and CEO of Denver Zoo, says about 1,000 guests were evacuated. ALERT: Denver Police are investigating a threat to the Denver Zoo that has not been deemed to be credible at this time. The zoo has been evacuated and people/motorists are encouraged to avoid the area. Updates will be provided as they become available. pic.twitter.com/JZBjF7DGKT — Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) October 2, 2018 The zoo updated to say they will be open during normal business hours on Wednesday. Below is their statement on Tuesday evening: Just after 3 p.m. this afternoon, we received a call from an unidentified individual threatening to fly an airplane into Denver Zoo. We immediately contacted Denver Police and other government agencies, initiated an evacuation of all guests and staff on the premises and moved animals to safety. Denver Police quickly responded to help secure the grounds and investigate the threat. Less than two hours later—around 4:45 p.m.—Denver Police determined that the threat was not credible and allowed Zoo patrons to return to their vehicles so they could leave the area. The investigation into the threat is ongoing. Our top priority is the safety and comfort of our guests, staff and animals. We take every threat very seriously and consistently review and practice our procedures to maintain the utmost safety standards. Denver Police has reopened 23rd Ave. and Denver Zoo will open tomorrow with normal hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).