Britney Taryn , the mother of a 6-year-old boy whose encounter with a giant Pacific octopus at the San Antonio Aquarium went viral on TikTok, is disputing the facility’s account of what happened, calling its official statement both false and defamatory.
The video, posted on July 15 and shared nearly 13,000 times, shows Leo, Tayin’s son, interacting with the aquarium’s massive octopus before it latched onto his arm and refused to let go .
- A San Antonio aquarium visit turned traumatic when an octopus latched onto 6-year-old Leo and wouldn’t let go.
- The aquarium released a statement saying the mother ignored safety warnings, and declined medical help.
- The mother called the statements “false and defamatory,” criticizing the establishment’s open tanks.
According to the aquarium, the incident was due to Taryn ignoring warnings and leaning her child over the exhibit barrier. Seeing someone other than staff intruding on his habitat, the octopus displayed “typical curious behavior.”
The establishment went on to say that medical assistance was offered but ultimately declined by the mother, who signed an incident report.
Taryn said none of that is true .
Mother of 6YO boy bruised by octopus denied aquarium’s claims of irresponsibility, criticizing the establishment’s safety measures
Octopus underwater in aquarium tank with fish nearby, related to mom of 6yo boy attacked by octopus incident.
“Contrary to the aquarium’s claims, no medical attention was offered for my son, and I was not asked to sign an incident report,” the mother told local media yesterday (August 4).
“Several other adults were with me at the time and can attest to this.”
Young boy playing on the beach holding a red shovel, relating to the mom of 6yo boy attacked by octopus viral incident.
Taryn called the aquarium’s response not only false, but defamatory. She said it was a deliberate attempt to divert attention from more serious safety concerns present at the facility.
“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,” she wrote.
“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.”
Woman speaking about 6-year-old boy attacked by octopus at aquarium, with octopus visible in tank behind her.
The mother said that, at the time of the incident, the octopus was already near the glass, allowing his son to reach it without her assistance. She said that the interaction surprised her, as she had never seen an octopus act that way before.
Arm of a young boy with red marks and bruises after octopus attack, highlighting aquarium incident controversy.
Taryn went on to claim that she has since reached out to “multiple experts,” who allegedly told her that the octopus in question was suffering from a mental decline known as “senescence,” which occurs near the end of the animal’s life.
“Neither the tank setup nor the nature of public interaction aligns with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)’s standards for Giant Pacific octopus care,” she added.
Mother and son were familiar with the octopus, but were taken aback by how large it had become in recent years
Mom of 6YO boy who was attacked by octopus speaking during a news interview at KSAT studio with her son beside her.
Taryn and Leo were very familiar with said octopus, and had visited it for three years without incident. After a hiatus, they returned and were surprised to find out how large it had become. According to the mother, they had to confirm with an employee that it was indeed the same animal.
Due to the animal ’s smaller size, Leo had grown accustomed to greeting it by letting it suction briefly to his hand before releasing. But this time the octopus strength had increased, and the encounter went from tender to scary.
Child with octopus at aquarium exhibit while mother accuses aquarium of lying after viral attack incident
When Leo told his mother, “Mom, it’s not letting me go,” she stepped in but refused to touch the animal herself. She noticed purple spots forming on her son’s skin as the octopus began climbing its side of the tank while holding on.
Mom of 6yo boy and her son sitting in studio, discussing octopus attack and accusing aquarium of lying on KSAT news.
As Bored Panda previously reported , an employee arrived, describing the animal as being playful. It wasn’t until he failed to free Leo’s arm that he realized the severity of the situation, and requested the help of two other staff members.
@ksatnews EXCLUSIVE: According to mom @britneytaryn ♬ original sound – KSAT12 | SATX local news
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