A six-year-old boy recently suffered injuries when an octopus grabbed his arm during a visit to the San Antonio Aquarium in Texas. The incident occurred on July 14.
The child’s mother, Britney Taryn, shared the story in a TikTok video. She explained that her son, Leo, was near a touch tank when the giant Pacific octopus latched onto his arm. Taryn mentioned they had visited the aquarium before, even interacting with the same octopus.
In her video, Taryn showed Leo’s arm covered with purple suction bruises extending from his wrist to his armpit. She described how calm Leo was when he realized the octopus wouldn’t let go. Despite her efforts to help him get free, the octopus held tight, and the situation quickly became chaotic.
After the incident, the aquarium posted a video on TikTok explaining that the bruises from the octopus could last between seven to 14 days. An aquarium worker noted that these creatures have around 200 suction cups on each arm and can be quite strong, capable of lifting up to 700 pounds.
Taryn is now advocating for better living conditions for the octopus and has reached out to the aquarium for answers about their safety protocols. However, she has not received a response yet.
