A Texas mom is speaking out after her young son was left bruised and traumatized by a shocking encounter with an octopus at a petting zoo—and she says the aquarium staff did next to nothing to help.
Britney Taryn shared her terrifying experience on TikTok after visiting the San Antonio Aquarium on July 14. What was supposed to be a fun family outing took a disturbing turn when a large octopus suddenly latched onto her six-year-old son’s hand and wouldn’t let go.
@britneytaryn My son has visited the same octopus every week for 3 years. She always loved him until today, when she tried to pull him into the tank. It took 3 aquarium employees to get her off. Was it affection? Recognition? Or something more dangerous? We thought it was a sweet animal bond… until it left bruises. And when we walked back later, she changed color the second she saw him. 🎥 Watch til the end. 💬 Tell me: Was this love or a warning sign? 🧠 Octopus experts, weigh in. #Octopus #AquariumStory #AnimalBondGoneWrong #OctopusBehavior #SeaLife #AnimalInstinct #MarineBiology #ParentingTikTok ♬ original sound – Britney Taryn
“The octopus started to come out, up over the glass,” Taryn told KSAT. “My friend and I were not sure what to do. There’s no employees around so we started yelling for help.”
When a staffer finally arrived, the response shocked her. “The employee came up and just said, ‘Oh, she’s super playful today,’” she recalled. “And then he could not get the octopus off.”
It took three employees and several minutes to finally pry the octopus’s tentacles from the little boy’s arm. By then, the child was left badly bruised and understandably shaken by the ordeal.
Taryn has since filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, accusing aquarium staff of downplaying the incident. She also raised concerns about the potential danger of the octopus’s sharp beak, which can deliver venomous bites.
“I’m just worried something worse is going to happen,” she said. “I don’t want anything to happen to any more kids, any adults. And I really hope nothing happens to the octopus either.”
The aquarium has not publicly commented on the incident.
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Why would those creatures be subjected to being handled by hundreds of people daily? I find that cruel and un-necessary! I went to a museum once where they had a baby StingRay, It was in a low water container. Some JackAss, had scratched it all to pieces, yet it still came up to the top for pets. I cried my eyes out.
This kid has something to brag about for Show and Tell when school starts back up… Mom kept bringing him back there…