San Antonio Aquarium to Face PETA Protest as Child Injured in Octopus Encounter
For Immediate Release:
August 8, 2025
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
On Sunday, PETA supporters will converge on the San Antonio Aquarium to warn passersby to steer clear of the facility, where a 6-year-old boy was recently injured during a hands-on interaction that agitated a captive octopus. The animal allies will call on the roadside zoo to release the animals in its tanks to reputable facilities—where they won’t be subjected to “encounters” that put them and customers at risk.
“Animals deserve respect and to be left in peace, and forcing stressed wild animals to endure life in a tank and grabbing hands risks their safety and the public’s,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on the San Antonio Aquarium to stop treating animals as props and is warning everyone to stay away, as it’s only a matter of time before there is another injury.”
Where: Outside the San Antonio Aquarium, 6320 Bandera Rd, Leon Valley
When: Sunday, August 10, 11 a.m.
Why: Octopuses have long-term memories, use tools, and learn through observation, yet they and other animals are denied everything natural and important to them and confined in dismal, cramped enclosures at the San Antonio Aquarium—which has been hit with numerous citations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for inadequate animal care, improper maintenance, and injuries to members of the public.
PETA notes that the San Antonio Aquarium is owned by the notorious Covino family, who also own the Austin Aquarium—which was just issued an official warning by the USDA after a number of customers were bitten, scratched, and otherwise injured by animals.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
