Imagine your dull life as an animal trapped in a cage. Sure, the kids come by and stare at you in awe, which admittedly does wonders for the ego. But the walls surrounding you get old. You yearn to run and play and breathe fresh air outdoors!
That could have been the motivation for the octopus that yesterday attempted to escape from the Seattle Aquarium. Using the power of suction, he oozed his way up the side of his "enclosure" — which is pretty much just a giant plexiglas cup — and flung one tentacle over the edge, and then another.
It was going quite well (and thrilling some kids who couldn't take their eyes off of it) until, faster than Braveheart can scream "Freeeeeeedommmm!" an Aquarium employee appeared and forced him back into his cup. See for yourself.
This video has spread like crazy since it was posted to YouTube on March 4, but according to a spokesperson for the Seattle Aquarium, the octopus in question wasn't trying to escape at all. He was just "in a new exhibit exploring his boundaries."
Yeah. Exploring...
If by "exploring" they mean, "probing for weaknesses and looking for a way out."
The octopus, whose name is "Ink," is apparently a new acquisition for the Aquarium, which believes that Ink was simply exploring the edge of his new environment. The Seattle Aquarium is actually known for regularly bringing in new specimens for patrons to view while cycling out creatures that have been there for a while and releasing them back into the ocean. So no doubt the Aquarium's employees sincerely believe the "exploration" story.
But on the outside looking in, it's pretty obvious what Ink was up to.
Of course, Ink can't be portrayed as terribly smart here, either. You have to question his thinking. Should Ink try again and succeed (perhaps during overnight hours when the Aquarium is closed), where would he go from there? Is he planning to slither across the floor, find the exit, pick the lock and Steve McQueen his way back to the ocean? (To be fair, the Aquarium is located atop a pier, so he wouldn't have to go far. But still.)
Here's hoping Ink thinks through the whole Shawshank thing before trying again.
Top Photo: Feans | Flickr
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
