Watching a child’s passion blossom is unlike any other experience. Seeing their curiosity ignite and letting them lean into their loves is something every parent lives for. But when the thing they love can hurt them or becomes dangerous, it can be heartbreaking and confusing.
People recently reported that mom Britney Taryn posted a video on TikTok claiming that her marine life-loving 6-year-old son was grabbed by an octopus in a touch tank and it wouldn’t let go. According to Taryn, her son Leo’s love of animals has been a thing since he was a toddler, and his passion for the ocean and sea creatures has always been the most prominent. As a result, the Texas mom routinely took her little boy to the aquarium, often visiting several times a week.
@britneytaryn My son has visited the same octopus every week for 3 years. She always loved him until today, when she tried to pull him into the tank. It took 3 aquarium employees to get her off. Was it affection? Recognition? Or something more dangerous? We thought it was a sweet animal bond… until it left bruises. And when we walked back later, she changed color the second she saw him. 🎥 Watch til the end. 💬 Tell me: Was this love or a warning sign? 🧠 Octopus experts, weigh in. #Octopus #AquariumStory #AnimalBondGoneWrong #OctopusBehavior #SeaLife #AnimalInstinct #MarineBiology #ParentingTikTok ♬ original sound – Britney Taryn
The boy often visits the aquarium’s touch tank, which had a small octopus in it. The family took a break from going to the aquarium for a while, but when they went again, they discovered the octopus had grown. When the boy went to pet him, the octopus took hold of his arm and refused to let go.
“My son is very level-headed when it comes to animals, so when he had his arm in there, and he starts saying, ‘Mom, it’s not letting me go — and way too calmly — ‘I’m like, ‘Oh, OK.’ So I’m helping him get down from the step and trying to pull him away from the octopus, and that octopus is not letting go,” she claimed. “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.”
The mom later claimed it took three grown adults to finally remove the animal from him. The boy now has intense bruising up and down his arm.
The mom stated in a follow-up video that she made a formal request for the aquarium to document the incident. She wants the aquarium to provide an explanation for its safety protocols for animal interactions. The mom is also advocating for more comfortable living conditions for the octopus as well as other creatures on display. She believes that the octopus’s behavior indicates some sort of distress.
Taryn says that the San Antonio Aquarium has yet to respond to her, however, it did post a video following the incident highlighting the bruises these octopuses can leave behind. The post noted noting the bruises can last up to 14 days. But, the aquarium did not directly address the incident.
