Mark Sullivan/FilmMagic; John Formosa/Friends of High Park ZooRush‘s Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart have received many honors during their long career, including induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, but a newly announced accolade from Toronto’s High Park Zoo is perhaps the band’s most unique.
A trio of baby capybaras — large South American rodents — have been named Geddy, Alex and Neil, thanks to a recent poll conducted by the Friends of High Park Zoo.
Over 44,800 votes were cast, with more than 32,500 choosing the first names of Rush’s members. The poll’s first runners-up were Snap, Crackle and Pop, which received about 9,200 votes.
“We are thrilled to hear that 3 cute little furry creatures from South America now bear our names at High Park Zoo in Toronto!” Lee writes in a post on Rush’s Instagram page, which also includes a photo of the capybara cubs. “Thanks to all who voted to give us this special honour! By the way, which one is me? In the picture I saw none of them were wearing glasses.”
The capybara triplets, which were born in February are among the popular attractions at High Park Zoo. The young rodents’ parents, known as Bonnie and Clyde, made news last year when they escaped from the zoo for several weeks before being recaptured.
Capybaras are found throughout most of South America. The animals are related to guinea pigs, but are much larger, with some adults weighing nearly 150 pounds.
Rush has been inactive since wrapping up a 40th anniversary tour in August 2015. The band has announced that the trek was their final major tour, although Lee and Lifeson have said they expect the group to eventually record more new music.
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