A six-year-old boy was left with bruises after a giant Pacific octopus grabbed his arm and refused to let go during a visit to the San Antonio Aquarium in Texas. The incident occurred on July 14, according to the boy's mother, Britney Taryn, who shared details in a TikTok video.
Britney said her son Leo was at a touch tank when the octopus attached itself to his arm. She described the creature as being “halfway out the tank, and trying to eat my son.” Photos show dark purple suction bruises running from Leo’s wrist to his armpit.
The aquarium disputed that the area was a touch tank, saying it is a 1,000-gallon habitat designed with a tall barrier. A spokesperson claimed Britney leaned her child over the exhibit barrier, allowing him to reach into the habitat without staff supervision. Britney denied this, calling the claim “false and defamatory.”
The aquarium stated the octopus’s behaviour was “typical, curious behaviour” and not aggressive. They said staff responded promptly to safely remove the child. Britney, however, said no medical attention was offered and she was not asked to sign an incident report.
Following the incident, animal rights group PETA called for the release of the octopus, arguing that the aquarium’s exploitative encounters are “a recipe for disaster.” They urged the facility to stop forcing wild animals to interact with humans and to transfer the octopus to a more suitable environment.
