Latest news with #GiantPacificOctopus
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden announces death of Susan the Giant Pacific Octopus
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD) – Riverbanks Zoo and Garden announced Thursday the death of its Giant Pacific Octopus named Susan. The zoo said its veterinary and animal teams have worked together over the past year while Susan aged, or what the zoo called 'senescence,' which is a natural stage for the octopus species marking the completion of a life cycle. Susan's quality of life was monitored every day throughout the process. 'The aquarists, who knew Susan so well, thoughtfully monitored her quality of life every day. With the utmost care and compassion, and always prioritizing Susan's well-being, the teams made the decision to help her transition peacefully,' the zoo said in their announcement. Susan was named after Susan F. Boyd, who contributed to Riverbanks Zoo and Garden's conservation efforts through The Boyd Foundation. The octopus was housed in the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center, where she helped biologists and aquarists 'better understand her remarkable species and the importance of marine conservation.' Zoo leaders said a new octopus is acclimating behind the scenes and will join the exhibit in the coming weeks. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Giant Pacific Octopus Surprises Washington Hikers by Suddenly Showing Up on Their Route
If you are hiking off the coast of northern Washington and exploring tidepools, the last thing you would probably expect to find would be a giant Pacific octopus swimming around in it! But a group of lucky hikers was in the right place at the right time last week, and that's exactly what they found in Bellingham, Washington. ABC7 Chicago News shared a video on Facebook on March 7th that was filmed by Micah Moeller. It shows Moeller and his friends experiencing both disbelief and excitement as the eight-armed cephalopod swam in just a few feet of water in the calm tidepool. But it didn't stick around long (no pun intended)! ACB7 said in the video's caption, "The giant Pacific octopus can grow to nearly 20 feet across, and is found throughout the northern Pacific Ocean, its habitat extending from Korea to Mexico, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium." I'm not sure how big this one was, but it looked pretty big! Viewers were delighted by the video and left nearly 9 thousand comments about it. I couldn't agree more with @Canna Nana who said, "Thanks for leaving it alone! Just enjoy nature as you see it." @Haley Marie felt the same way, "Notice how they remain away from it, don't try to touch it or pick it up, and appreciate it from a distance. That's nice to see." @Tyleki B Ayhmei got more than 2.5 thousand likes when he shared, "He is actually learning your voices as you speak, if you're lucky enough to see him again he will remember you, he was scanning you guys if watch his eyes!" and I laughed at @Ashley Grady who joked, "How does it feel to be God's favorite? I would pass away right there! I love them!" Some commenters mentioned how scared they be if they were in the same situation. But according to American Oceans this cool color changing animal is not a dangerous one, 'The Giant Pacific Octopus is not generally regarded as a dangerous octopus, unlike its counterpart the Blue-Ringed Octopus.' The giant Pacific octopus is the biggest in the world, with an average length of 16 feet. They weigh in at 110 pounds and could easily attack a human if they chose to. Fortunately for the most part, they are known to be shy and usually friendly towards us. With the exception of the blue-ringed octopus, all octopuses (yep, that's the correct plural form!) bite with their large beaks and inject venom, but the venom is not fatal. Only the blue-ringed octopus could kill a human with one of its venomous bites. Octopuses' have suckers ('suction cups') on the arms that can become dangerous if they lock onto a human and would be very difficult to try to remove if they didn't want you to. I scuba dived for many years, and I was always on the lookout to find an octopus. I never did, but it would have been an incredible experience to swim with one in the wild!
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Future unclear for animals at embattled Roseville aquarium chain after January sale thwarted
The future of SeaQuest, an interactive aquarium chain that recently filed for bankruptcy, is still undecided after it was not cleared for sale in court last week as proposed. The Idaho-based company, which maintains five locations including one at Roseville's Rosedale Center, had requested an expedited motion to sell for $80,000 to Jeff Cox, the buyer for Z&A Management LLC, but the request was withdrawn, according to the court docket. On Monday, Judge Benjamin P. Hursh ordered the appointment of a Chapter 11 Trustee to manage SeaQuest's estate. Once the trustee is appointed, they shall 'act quickly' to determine a number of things including the potential sale of SeaQuest's assets 'to Jeff Cox, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or other interested buyers,' according to court documents. Animal rights activists who celebrated the quashed January sale now have a new concern: Where will the animals go? PETA filed a brief last week objecting to the sale of the business to 'company insider' Jeff Cox, who is also part of Noveen Capital, which owns a 4% stake in SeaQuest, according to court records. 'From 2018 to the present, U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors have cited (SeaQuest's) various locations for at least 131 violations of the Animal Welfare Act, including filthy, infested, or dilapidated enclosures, failure to properly and safely handle animals, and failure to provide basic care or veterinary treatment to animals,' PETA's court filing states. The only Minnesota location, SeaQuest Roseville, is currently home to animals including sea-dwelling fish, fresh water fish, stingrays, a Giant Pacific Octopus, a sloth, an otter, a Goldenchild Cow reticulated python and several birds, according to court documents. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducted an investigation into SeaQuest Roseville and presented its findings to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office for prosecution review, which is still active and ongoing, Public Information Officer Dennis Gerhardstein said in an email last week. SeaQuest did not immediately return a Pioneer Press request for comment. Business | House DFL, Republicans reach power-sharing deal, ending struggle that stalled session Business | After bankruptcy filing, embattled Roseville aquarium chain to potentially sell for $80K Business | Made in St. Paul: Plastic trash becomes detail collaged portraits by 'junk art junkie' Sonja Dapper Business | Former Washington County Sheriff's Office deputy sues for alleged sexual harassment Business | 2025 Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt medallion found at Roseville's Central Park In regards to the appointment of a trustee, 'PETA welcomes this development and looks forward to working with the Chapter 11 Trustee to achieve the best possible outcomes for animals,' a spokesperson for the nonprofit said in an email Wednesday. SeaQuest, which operates five total locations in California, Nevada, Utah and New Jersey in addition to Roseville, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December. The aquarium chain reported over $15.2 million in revenue for 2023, a sharp decline from the $27.1 million it reported in 2022. According to the Dec. 2 bankruptcy filing, the company has at least $500,000 in assets and between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities.
