This may be the cutest escape story ever. We’re talking about the saga of Inky the Octopus, who’s finally free from a New Zealand aquarium due to his natural squishiness, and a tank lid left ajar. That’s way less scary than the octopus who stole a filmmaker’s camera and then took a picture of him with it, or the octopus who dragged this crab back to its underwater lair, but impressive nonetheless.
According to the BBC, the staff of the New Zealand National Aquarium feels pretty betrayed by Inky’s escape:
Aquarium manager Rob Yarrall says the tank’s lid was left slightly ajar following maintenance work. “He managed to make his way to one of the drain holes that go back to the ocean and off he went — didn’t even leave us a message,” he tells Radio New Zealand. Staff later found “octopus tracks” which revealed Inky’s escape route. The breakout happened earlier this year but only came to light in the national press on Tuesday.
The drain pipe that Inky found is only 6 inches wide. And while the octopus is larger than that (the size of a rugby ball, apparently), he’s “squishy” enough to squeeze through such a space.
Inky leaves behind an octopus companion, which the aquarium staff will be watching closely. Such is the price of freedom.
(Via BBC)
