AITA for stealing a stingray from the zoo because I thought it was being mistreated?

Okay, so hear me out before you judge. I (27M) recently visited my local zoo, and while walking through the aquarium section, I noticed this small stingray in a tank that looked… off. The water was kind of murky, the filtration system sounded like it was on its last legs, and the stingray (which I later learned is a freshwater species) looked really lethargic and had some discoloration.

Now, I’m no marine biologist, but I do have a pretty extensive freshwater aquarium setup at home. I keep discus, plecos, some shrimp, and yes—I’ve got a 300-gallon tank that used to house an arowana (RIP Big Tuna). I know how to keep water conditions tight.

So, I started thinking—this poor stingray looked miserable. I mentioned it to one of the zookeepers and they kind of brushed me off with a “yeah, we’re aware” response, which did NOT sit right with me. So I made a plan.

Long story short: I came back a few days later during a crowded weekend, distracted a staff member with a question about penguin breeding (thanks Google), and managed to scoop the stingray into a transport container I brought in a gym bag. No alarms. No witnesses. Just me, the stingray, and a very guilty conscience.

He’s now in my tank, doing GREAT. He’s active, eating bloodworms, and his color has come back. Honestly, I think I saved him.

But now my girlfriend (29F) is PISSED. She says I “committed a felony,” “can’t just steal animals because I think I know better,” and that I’m risking both of our futures because I wanted to be “stingray Robin Hood.” She’s threatening to report me if I don’t return it, which I think is way out of line.

So, Reddit… AITA for stealing the stingray?