ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — There's been another "cappy" addition to the Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey.
The county-run zoo – which is located in West Orange – recently welcomed three adorable new capybara pups to its growing menagerie.
According to the zoo, capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) are the largest living rodent species in the world. Their closest known relatives include rock cavies and guinea pigs, but they are semiaquatic like beavers, nutria and muskrats.
Some of the zoo's residents have been named to reflect their fondness for water, such as "Poseidon," who recently arrived at the Turtle Back.
Others have gotten their names from the public, such as "Bailey and Guiness," two capybara pups who gained their new monikers after a vote among zoo visitors.
What will the zoo's new capybara triplets be called? That's up to the public, which is again being asked to name them via a contest.
Anyone interested in submitting a name (or three) can do so with zoo admission on Saturday, Oct. 10 and Sunday, Oct. 11. Raffle tickets are available at the cashier's office and voting boxes are located across from the front entrance by the Komodo dragon statue.
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