Move over Grumpy Cat and Lil Bub, there’s a new mammal in town. “Pumpkin the Raccoon” has 1.5 million followers on Instagram, “Starfish the Opossum” 130,000, and “Gizmo the Skunk” 35,000 and counting. Instead of shooing them away as pests, the Internet-savvy are welcoming these creatures—once seen as the weirdos, the jaded, the unloved. According to the New York Times, it has surpassed a zeitgeist phenomenon;it’s now a social movement. Move over cute, fluffy animals of yesteryear—this is the era of the eccentric outsider, the jaded rogue. Trash animals are making their way into the headlines … and into our hearts.Featuring:

• Trash Animals—Who Are They? Meet and greet opossums, skunks, bats, raccoons, squirrels, pigeons, rats, badgers, and more
• In the News. Meet the Vermin-fluencers. We’re used to seeing them in the trash, but these days you’re more likely to see them in your Instagram feed. From profiles of Celebrity Vermin to Newsworthy Stunts like subway-riding pigeons