Late last night, in the darkened corridors of the National Aquarium in Napier, New Zealand, a mastermind mollusc made his miraculous escape. Inky the octopus, not content to spend the rest of his life being gawped at through the grimy glass of his tank, made the most of an aquarium worker mistakenly leaving the enclosure lid ajar; slipping through the gap, Inky slithered down a 50m drainpipe and returned to the sea.
The endearing eight-legged escapee, who was given to the aquarium years ago after being caught in a crayfish pot, was described as “unusually intelligent” by Rob Yarrell, the national manager of the institution.
“Octopuses are famous escape artists,” Yarrell explained, “but Inky really tested the waters here. I don’t think he was unhappy with us, or lonely, as octopus are solitary creatures. But he is such a curious boy. He would want to know what’s happening on the outside. That’s just his personality.”
The suspiciously squishy creatures are able to squidge down to the size of their beak, the only hard part of their body, meaning they are able to squeeze through spaces much smaller than their own bulk. The seafaring Steve McQueen can now get back to doing what he loves the most – hanging out on coral reefs without the need to look out for overly exuberant little children or flash photography.
Hopefully Inky will settle back into his old routine under the sea – staying clear of crayfish pots, of course – unbeknownst to the fact that he is a global superstar and the greatest asset to the species since Psychic Paul at the 2010 World Cup. Inky, we salute you.
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