A Texas aquarium is speaking out after a mom accused its Pacific octopus of attacking her 6-year-old son. She posted a video of the boy's arms covered in bruises.
What's worse is that Britney Taryn is accusing the San Antonio Aquarium workers of downplaying the seriousness of the attack.
"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," she recalled.
Following the viral incident, the Aquarium shared a statement with People about the incident. The organization says that the octopus was not part of a touch tank and was enclosed by a tall barrier to separate the animal from guests.
"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 shared. "In this instance, the guest leaned her child over the exhibit barrier. Allowing him to reach into the habitat without staff supervision."
In response, the octopus exhibited "typical, curious behavior by touching and holding the child's arm."
"At no point was the octopus aggressive or attempting to harm the child," the statement continues. "Our staff responded promptly to assist, ensuring the child was safely removed from the interaction. 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."
Aquarium Speaks Out
The statement concludes, "Octopuses are highly intelligent and curious creatures, and their interactions with humans are often playful and exploratory. However, as with any animal encounter, there are inherent risks, which is why we have strict protocols in place to ensure safety for all."
Meanwhile, the family said that it places the blame on the aquarium, not the octopus. The family fired back against the organization for sharing false claims against the family.
"The San Antonio Aquarium's response is not only false; it is defamatory and appears to be a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the serious issues at hand," the mom said.
"Contrary to the aquarium's claims, no medical attention was offered for my son. And I was not asked to sign an incident report," Taryn also said. "Several other adults were with me at the time and can attest to this. Because blame was never my intent, I only later sent an email solely to formally document the incident out of concern for the animal. And the safety of others, but I received no response."
Taryn also continued, "Typically, contact with the octopus in that exhibit would only be possible by lifting a child over the glass. Something we have done in the past under direct staff instruction. This tank is never staffed. And the public is often left to interact with the animals unsupervised. The only signage provides instructions for a feeding encounter."
