Octopus Leaves 6-Year-Old Boy Covered In Bruises And Aquarium Defends It – Says Mom ‘Leaned’ Him Over

The San Antonio Aquarium in Texas is defending its giant Pacific octopus after it left a 6-year-old boy covered in bruises all over his arm.

The boy’s mom spoke about it online

The incident happened on July 14, with the boy’s mom sharing what happened in a viral TikTok video. 

She said, “The octopus starts coming out of the tank, and the reason we don’t have pictures or videos of this is because my friend was also freaking out.” 

The aquarium responded to this

The mom, Britney Taryn, added in her video that the octopus wrapped itself around the boy’s arm and was “not letting go.”

Now, the San Antonio Aquarium has addressed what happened, with a representative telling People, “At the San Antonio Aquarium, the safety and well-being of our guests, staff, and animals are our top priorities.”

The tank is not described as one you can touch

The representative told the outlet that the octopus exhibit includes “a 1,000+ gallon habitat intentionally designed with a tall barrier to provide safety for both guests and the animal.”

It is also not described as a touch tank.

The boy will have leaned over

“Reaching the octopus requires a person to lean fully over the wall of the enclosure and reach approximately 24 inches down from the top edge,” the representative said.

“In this instance, the guest leaned her child over the exhibit barrier, allowing him to reach into the habitat without staff supervision.”

The octopus’ response was out of curiosity

The statement went on to explain that the response from the octopus was “typical, curious behavior by touching and holding the child’s arm.”

“At no point was the octopus aggressive or attempting to harm the child,” they added.

The statement also insisted that staff came to help

“Our staff responded promptly to assist, ensuring the child was safely removed from the interaction,” the representative added in the statement.

“We want to emphasize that our Giant Pacific Octopus is a healthy, well-cared-for animal that thrives in its habitat and does not exhibit harmful behavior toward guests or staff.”

The octopus was just being playful

“Octopuses are highly intelligent and curious creatures, and their interactions with humans are often playful and exploratory,” they added.

“However, as with any animal encounter, there are inherent risks, which is why we have strict protocols in place to ensure safety for all,” the statement concluded.

The mother reiterated that she doesn’t blame it

@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

Speaking with the outlet, the mother has also reiterated that she does “not blame the octopus.”

“We understand that its behavior is completely natural,” she said. “Our goal is to advocate for better conditions for the animals and to ensure that they are housed in environments that are safe and appropriate.”

But she refined claims that they received help

Taryn added, “Contrary to the aquarium’s claims, no medical attention was offered for my son, and I was not asked to sign an incident report.”

She added that she has leaned the boy over for the octopus before under staff direction, but that this tank specifically is never staffed, and “the public is often left to interact with the animals unsupervised.”