A six-year-old boy was reportedly attacked by an octopus at an interactive exhibit at the San Antonio Aquarium, according to his mother. The mother, Britney Taryn, shared her story on TikTok, alleging that the octopus in the petting section of the aquarium latched onto her son Leo’s arm, leaving him with severe bruises from the suction cups after their visit on July 14.
Taryn recounted the incident, stating that the octopus began to emerge from the glass tank. With no employees in sight, she and her friend began to call for help. When an employee finally arrived, he commented on the octopus’s playful behavior but struggled to remove the creature from the boy’s arm. It took the combined efforts of three aquarium employees over five minutes to free Leo from the octopus’s grip.
The aftermath of the incident left Leo with deep purple bruises from the suction cups, spanning from his wrist to his armpit. Taryn shared photos of the injuries on her TikTok account. She noted that during their previous visits to the touch-tank, an aquarium employee was usually present to guide interactions with the octopus.
Following the incident, Taryn filed an animal welfare complaint with the United States Department of Agriculture. She claimed that Leo sustained extensive suction bruises and that the aquarium employees on-site downplayed the incident.
On her TikTok account, Taryn shared a video of a handler at the San Antonio Aquarium struggling with an unruly octopus that latched onto her arm. In the clip, the handler explained that octopuses are naturally curious and possess a poisonous beak, adding that the octopus could bite her if it wanted to.
The San Antonio Aquarium’s website promotes an “Animal Encounters” exhibit where children can interact with a variety of animals, including octopuses. The site encourages guests to hand-feed some animals and pet them with a gentle two-finger touch on their back.
Taryn clarified that she does not seek retribution against the octopus but is concerned about the welfare of children visiting the aquarium. She expressed her fears of a similar or worse incident happening in the future and suggested that the octopus be moved to a rescue where it can live out the rest of its life undisturbed. The San Antonio Aquarium has not yet responded to requests for comment.