A mother says a recent visit to the San Antonio Aquarium ended with an octopus latching onto her son’s arm at an exhibit. Britney Taryn told KABB the giant Pacific octopus clung onto her 6-year-old son, Leo, when the family visited the Aquarium on July 14. Taryn said they were in an interactive exhibit and were encouraged to touch the octopus.“Leo put his arm in the tank, the octopus wrapped his tentacles around him and wouldn’t let go,” Taryn told the station. “So, I tried to get Leo down and get out of there, but the octopus came over the tank with us.”She said the animal left bruises up Leo’s arm. It took three employees to get the octopus to let go of the 6-year-old. “When the first employee wasn’t able to remove the tentacle from him, he called for backup,” Taryn said. “They brought ice packs to distract the octopus. It was about 5 minutes, according to the time stamps on my pictures. Leo stayed around to see if the octopus was ok.”The aquarium says the octopus’ suction cups may cause bruises and added that the animal is not harmful.Craig Pelke, the director of ectotherms at the San Antonio Zoo, told KABB that octopuses are not usually aggressive, but that it may have become overstimulated.Taryn is calling for the octopus to be moved to a rescue and away from touch-and-feel tanks.
A mother says a recent visit to the San Antonio Aquarium ended with an octopus latching onto her son’s arm at an exhibit.
Britney Taryn told KABB the giant Pacific octopus clung onto her 6-year-old son, Leo, when the family visited the Aquarium on July 14. Taryn said they were in an interactive exhibit and were encouraged to touch the octopus.
“Leo put his arm in the tank, the octopus wrapped his tentacles around him and wouldn’t let go,” Taryn told the station. “So, I tried to get Leo down and get out of there, but the octopus came over the tank with us.”
She said the animal left bruises up Leo’s arm. It took three employees to get the octopus to let go of the 6-year-old.
“When the first employee wasn’t able to remove the tentacle from him, he called for backup,” Taryn said. “They brought ice packs to distract the octopus. It was about 5 minutes, according to the time stamps on my pictures. Leo stayed around to see if the octopus was ok.”
The aquarium says the octopus’ suction cups may cause bruises and added that the animal is not harmful.
Craig Pelke, the director of ectotherms at the San Antonio Zoo, told KABB that octopuses are not usually aggressive, but that it may have become overstimulated.
Taryn is calling for the octopus to be moved to a rescue and away from touch-and-feel tanks.
