Chicago's Brookfield Zoo welcomes 3 of world's largest rodents

BROOKFIELD, Ill. -- The Brookfield Zoo in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, welcomed a male and two female capybaras, some of the world's largest rodents.

According to the statement released by the zoo on September 23, the capybaras are between the ages of 8 months and 2 years. They are the first capybaras to reside in the Brookfield Zoo in the last 40 years.

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Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world: they measure between 39 to 51 inches in length and weigh between 110 to 135 pounds. They are native to southern Central America and northern South America.

The three new animals are "currently getting acclimated to their new outdoor habitat," the zoo said in a statement.