{"id":119559,"date":"2025-08-05T00:58:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-05T00:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/119559\/"},"modified":"2025-08-05T00:58:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T00:58:09","slug":"mother-responds-to-san-antonio-aquariums-statement-on-viral-octopus-encounter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/119559\/","title":{"rendered":"Mother responds to San Antonio Aquarium\u2019s statement on viral octopus encounter"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 Britney Taryn, the mother of a 6-year-old who was grabbed by a giant Pacific octopus<\/a> at the San Antonio Aquarium in a now viral TikTok, is responding to the statement sent out by the aquarium.<\/p>\n

The aquarium responded to KSAT\u2019s request for comment on the video days after the story was published, writing that Taryn \u201cleaned her child over the exhibit barrier, allowing him to reach into the habitat without staff supervision.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe child remained calm throughout, and medical assistance was offered but declined by the mother,\u201d the aquarium said. \u201cAn incident report was completed and signed by the mother at the time of the event.\u201d<\/p>\n

KSAT requested a copy of the incident report from the aquarium and has not heard back as of Monday evening.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Taryn disputed the aquarium\u2019s statement in a written statement to KSAT.<\/p>\n

Britney Taryn and her son Leo in an interview with KSAT (KSAT 2025)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe San Antonio Aquarium\u2019s response is not only false; it is defamatory and appears to be a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the serious issues at hand,\u201d she said. \u201cContrary to the aquarium\u2019s claims, no medical attention was offered for my son, and I was not asked to sign an incident report. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taryn continued:<\/p>\n

\u201cTypically, 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,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, during this incident, the octopus was already near the glass, which I have documented on video. My son was able to reach it without assistance. This interaction revealed behaviors we had not witnessed before. With the guidance of multiple experts, we have since learned that these behaviors are consistent with senescence, the natural decline that occurs near the end of an octopus\u2019s life, and that neither the tank setup nor the nature of public interaction aligns with the AZA\u2019s standards for Giant Pacific octopus care.\u201d<\/p>\n

The viral octopus encounter at the San Antonio Aquarium on July14th. (KSAT 2025)<\/p>\n

Read the San Antonio Aquarium\u2019s full statement below:<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the San Antonio Aquarium, the safety and well-being of our guests, staff, and animals are our top priorities. We are aware of recent statements regarding an interaction between a guest and our Giant Pacific Octopus during a visit to our facility. We would like to provide clarity on the incident and address any concerns.<\/p>\n

During the visit, a guest and her child engaged with our octopus exhibit. The octopus exhibit is a 1,000+ gallon habitat intentionally designed with a tall barrier to provide safety for both guests and the animal. 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.<\/p>\n

Feeding interactions are strictly allowed only with staff supervision, as indicated by posted signage on the exhibit which states guests must follow all rules and instructions.<\/p>\n

In this instance, the guest leaned her child over the exhibit barrier, allowing him to reach into the habitat without staff supervision.<\/p>\n

The octopus displayed typical, curious behavior by touching and holding the child\u2019s arm. At no point was the octopus aggressive or attempting to harm the child. Our staff responded promptly to assist, ensuring the child was safely removed from the interaction. The child remained calm throughout, and medical assistance was offered but declined by the mother. An incident report was completed and signed by the mother at the time of the event.<\/p>\n

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. 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.<\/p>\n

The San Antonio Aquarium remains committed to providing safe, educational, and memorable experiences for all visitors while maintaining the highest standards of care for our animals. We encourage all guests to follow posted guidelines and staff instructions to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit.”<\/p>\n

Accreditation and past incidents<\/p>\n

KSAT confirmed with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) that the San Antonio Aquarium is not accredited or regulated by the organization. <\/p>\n

The organization said the \u201cSan Antonio Aquarium is not an AZA-accredited member and is not a member of our Pathway Toward Membership program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Weeks after it opened in late 2014, KSAT reported<\/a> that parents expressed concern about the safety of both the kids and the animals at the aquarium\u2019s touch-and-feel tanks.<\/p>\n

In July 2018, surveillance video captured three people stealing a horn shark from an open pool where visitors could reach in and pet various species. The suspects disguised the shark as a baby and placed it in a stroller, KSAT previously reported<\/a>. The female shark was returned to the aquarium two days later.<\/p>\n

In the days following the theft, the aquarium said it would not shut down touch pools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Later in 2018, it was temporarily closed<\/a> by the City of Leon Valley after multiple safety hazards were found following a routine fire inspection, KSAT reported. Violations ranged from unsecured propane tanks to hazardous electrical wiring.<\/p>\n

In 2020, the aquarium was shut down by Leon Valley police<\/a> for violating an emergency declaration due to the coronavirus pandemic. The aquarium allowed patrons inside the building, which was a violation of the ordinance, police told KSAT.<\/p>\n

The San Antonio Aquarium passed the latest inspection by the USDA, although octopuses do not fall under the Animal Welfare Act and are not subject to AWA regulations.<\/p>\n

See the full inspection report below:<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Britney Taryn, the mother of a 6-year-old who was grabbed by a giant Pacific octopus…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":119560,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5133],"tags":[5229,3425,41769,7202,70887,7203,358,939,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-119559","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-antonio","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-animals","10":"tag-leon-valley","11":"tag-san-antonio","12":"tag-san-antonio-aquarium","13":"tag-sanantonio","14":"tag-texas","15":"tag-trending","16":"tag-tx","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-united-states-of-america","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","21":"tag-us","22":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114973448896037369","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}