Animal Breaks Out Of Jail, Escapes To Freedom

Inky the escapologist octopus breaks out of New Zealand aquarium

An enterprising octopus spotted his chance to escape from a New Zealand aquarium -- and took it. Squeezing out from a gap at the top of his tank, the "inquisitive" octopus, Inky, slithered across the floor of the aquarium and down a seawater runoff pipe to Hawke's Bay, and freedom.

CNN Link

Octopuses are one of the smartest non-humans on this planet, there intelligence is legendary.
I think this is a great story.

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

I really like those little buggers. Fun story!

Anyone have information on why some animals are so smart? Why an octopus, why crows? Small brains, but really clever.

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

Octopuses are very smart animals. I'd say smarter than dolphins without a doubt.

a reply to: Vector99

What on earth???? How did that thing know to turn the lid and keep turning it the same way????

a reply to: Night Star
My guess is that it watched the lid being screwed on or felt the vibrations and knew which way from that.

a reply to: Skid Mark


But it's just a...blob. LOL I guess they are smart!

a reply to: Night Star

Here's another, truly a fascinating species of life!

I like to imagine that Inky gave them the ol' chromatophoric middle finger whilst slithering his way to freedom.

I like octopi!

I fish regularly and this one time I was rock fishing and felt this strange vibration on my line. I figure eh a fish is nibbling but it didn't quite feel like a fish. So I pull up the line and my baits gone! Rebait throw the line back in. A minute later the same thing. So I pull up the line again and I find this 18 inch long Orange and white polka dotted octopus wrapped around my line, avoiding the hook completely and a guilty look on his face and no bait.

So I pull him away from the line and toss him back in. I rebait the hook and throw the line back down casting a few feet away from the where I threw back in the little guy. A minute later same thing! Pull up the line and its the exact same octopus He had a unique splotch that I recognized. So I say "Ok buddy" and I throw him 70 feet from the stern of the boat. Rebait my hook and cast off the bow. 5 minutes later I feel a all too familiar vibration on the line. I think to my self no way. Pull it up. SAME OCTOPUS! I pull him off the line and some guy comes up to me and says why are you throwing him back in the water I'll eat him. Give him to me. I took a look at the guy, looked at the octopus, the octopus looked at me, I look back at the guy. I take the octopus and throw him back in the water. He earned his freedom in my mind. The guy was so smart and persistent that he just kept coming back and getting free food. I felt like he was my pet octopus by the end of the night.

SO me and octopus are all good. Humbolt squid on the other hand. Nasty bastards they are. Mean as hell too.

a reply to: Night Star

Because they learn. Octopi can actually learn through observation of another performing a certain behavior.

They have to adapt constantly in their own environment...to different predators, different terrain, different seasons and such. Adaptation (and necessity) are the mothers of invention (and adaptation, it seems.)

a reply to: Blue_Jay33

Hereafter known as the "Shawshank" octopus. "........ crawled through a river of [sewage] and came out clean on the other side."

Good for Inky!

21 years ago, when we moved to the Caribbean, I asked the locals about fish bait. They indicated that a "sea-cat" (octopus) was good, strong bait that the little fish couldn't easily pull off. So, not knowing any better (sad, right?) I went walking along the shore with my striker, looking into tidal pools for an octopus.

I found one, and as I drew closer, it receded. When I stepped back, it drew closer. I could see one of its eyes. I bent down low to look at it and it moved closer to look at me. I moved suddenly closer, and it shot a jet of water my direction. I decided it was WAY too smart to use for bait. I've seen them at night when torching for lobsters. Beautiful creatures, the octopus. Some change colour from a magenta to an aqua to a deep red.

If they were significantly larger, I'd never EVER go into the sea.

originally posted by: kelbtalfenek
a reply to: Night Star

Because they learn. Octopi can actually learn through observation of another performing a certain behavior.

They have to adapt constantly in their own environment...to different predators, different terrain, different seasons and such. Adaptation (and necessity) are the mothers of invention (and adaptation, it seems.)

Fascinating! I never knew this!

a reply to: argentus
I wouldn't have been able to use it as bait, either. I also wouldn't be able to eat one live like I've seen on videos.

a reply to: argentus

Octopuses absolutely captivate me - I can't explain it

Especially since I'm completely landlocked :-)

There's something there I think that is going to surprise everyone someday

Wishful thinking from an overly fanciful mind probably - but, seriously - there is an awful lot of there there in an octopus

a reply to: Blue_Jay33
Love this story - they are amazing

Here's more:

Otto the octopus wreaks havoc

Staff believe that the octopus called Otto had been annoyed by the bright light shining into his aquarium and had discovered he could extinguish it by climbing onto the rim of his tank and squirting a jet of water in its direction.

The short-circuit had baffled electricians as well as staff at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, who decided to take shifts sleeping on the floor to find out what caused the mysterious blackouts.