There are currently seven exhibits at the Pittsburgh Zoo: the Asian and Tropical Forests, the African Savanna, the Kid’s Kingdom, Bears, the Water’s Edge and the PPG Aquarium. The eighth exhibit, the Jungle Odyssey, will be introduced this May.

This popular tourist destination, a mix of zoo and aquarium that only exists at five other locations around the U.S., introduced a twist of new animals in a new exhibit, including the world’s-largest rodent, the capybara. These mammals are part of the Hydrochoeridae family and are typically two-feet long and weigh anywhere from 60 to 174 pounds.

Larger relatives of the guinea pig, these Central and South-American natives arrived last summer from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana. They will be placed alongside fossas, giant anteaters, ocelots and a pygmy hippo in their new home in Pittsburgh.

Junior McKenzie Deitrick, who takes bi-weekly classes at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium to study zoology, shared her experience within the Pittsburgh hotspot.

“Every semester, [the zoo offers] two different classes on a certain topic relating to zoology and we just take notes about the topic and, after that, we usually either get to handle a small animal in the classroom or take a tour behind the scenes of one of the exhibits,” Deitrick noted.

The capybaras spend the majority of their time in the water and survive on a diet of fruits, vegetables and rodent biscuits. In the wild, these creatures eat up to eight or nine pounds of grass every day. The three new members of this community, named Lysa, Varys and Melisandre after characters from the popular TV show “Game of Thrones,” have been receiving medical checkups to ensure their health before the exhibit opens to the public in May.

Although this zoo is already a favorite among the natives, zoo fanatics like Deitrick are hopeful of what this display could add to the wildlife park.

“I think it’ll definitely attract a lot of people when it opens, which is [going to be] really good financially for the zoo, but I really hope that [it will introduce] these animals to people,” Deitrick explained. “I’ve had people ask me what an ocelot is when I’ve talked about this exhibit before, so I really hope that this will give people an opportunity to learn about the animals because they’re really so cool.”

The capybaras are known for their easily-trainable minds and their long fur that is often obtained for leather value. Aside from human predators, their natural nemesis is typically the jaguar. They are also known for their peaceful nature.

The Pittsburgh Zoo has also expanded in other ways, such as technologically. In recent months, the zoo has introduced multiple cameras for each exhibit to keep a close watch on the animals at all points throughout the day and night. Aside from the advancement of this technology and the convenience it brings to the employees, the reduced prices of these cameras played a role in their addition to the exhibits.

All in all, 2017 has brought new upgrades for the classic Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, and locals should be watchful for even more additions in the nearby future.