Octopus at Texas aquarium reportedly grabs and injures boy's arm, as per his mother's statement
In San Antonio, Texas, a 6-year-old boy was recently hurt when an octopus grabbed onto his arm at the San Antonio Aquarium. The incident has sparked online debate about the safety of allowing children to touch these intriguing marine creatures.
The boy's mother, Britney Taryn, has gone viral on TikTok after sharing her son's encounter with the giant Pacific octopus. The video, which shows the boy with small dark spots – purple suction bruises from his wrist to his armpit – has garnered widespread attention. The San Antonio Aquarium, however, did not respond to a request for comment sent by NBC News.
The aquarium states that their Giant Pacific Octopus is healthy, well-cared-for, and generally displays curious, non-aggressive behavior. The octopus in the incident showed typical exploratory behavior by touching and holding the child's arm without intent to harm. The aquarium's safety protocols require animal interactions, including feeding and touching, to be conducted only under staff supervision and following posted signage instructions.
However, Taryn disputes the aquarium's account. She claims interactions like these are not supervised, and the only signage pertains to feeding, not safety. Taryn states that the aquarium's statement is false and defamatory, accusing it of attempting to divert attention from serious issues regarding safety protocols and animal welfare. She describes the octopus gripping her son's arm tightly, requiring three adults to remove it, and that her son sustained intense bruising.
Taryn has taken to social media to share her warning for others, stating that while her son was calm in the situation, other children may not be. She has also campaigned for safer and more comfortable living conditions for the octopus and others in similar situations on TikTok.
The San Antonio Aquarium maintains that safety protocols involving staff supervision and barriers are in place and were breached by the family's actions. Taryn, on the other hand, continues to challenge the sufficiency and enforcement of these protocols and the aquarium’s portrayal of events.
Meanwhile, in Montana, a shooting at a bar resulted in the death of four people. The search for the suspect is continuing into the second day, but no further details about the suspect or the investigation are provided in this report.
As of a video posted Monday, Taryn had not heard back from the San Antonio Aquarium regarding her request for an explanation of the aquarium's safety protocols for when visitors interact with animals, as well as for the incident to be properly documented. Taryn has refrained from calling the incident an attack, but has expressed concerns about the safety of allowing children to interact with these animals without proper warnings.
Meg Mindlin, an octopus biologist, stated that octopuses use their arms to sense and explore their environment and rely on taste sensors in their suction cups. This behaviour, while fascinating, raises questions about the safety measures in place when visitors are allowed to interact with these creatures.
The incident at the San Antonio Aquarium serves as a reminder for aquariums and zoos to review and enforce their safety protocols to ensure the well-being of both their animal inhabitants and their human visitors.
Funding for the improvement of safety protocols and animal welfare in aquariums, such as the San Antonio Aquarium, could potentially be sought from health-and-wellness organizations. The incident involving a 6-year-old boy and a giant Pacific octopus has sparked discussions about mental-health concerns related to the anxiety that parents may experience when visiting such facilities with their children.
