27 Trashy Wildlife Memes of Animals You Literally Find in Your Trash

Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor

Jul 19, 2026 10:45 AM EDT

One human's trash is another animal's treasure, buffet, and nightly lounge.

Taking out the trash in a busy city can become a quest of bravery, especially at night, when the critters crawl out of their burrows and scour our civilization for some yummy garbage. Some weird wildlife go to great lengths and stop at nothing to get themselves their next meal. It's just that sometimes, it includes going all the way to the back alley where you go throw your trash before going to bed, but have to deal with a screaming opossum instead. What a jump scare.

But hey, at least they're cute. Really, we think so. All animals are cute in our opinion - even the trashy ones. And they all need some meme love, and we have a lot of this to give. So here are some nightly trash panda memes: opossums, raccoons, rats, and skunks. Or, you know, you can always just go to the trash outside and hope to meet one in person.

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Your chances of a trash-side meet-up with an opossum are extremely high. Opossums are opportunistic omnivores and North America's only marsupial, which basically means evolution gave them a built-in "will eat literally anything" setting that is constantly toggled on. They're nocturnal, so your 2 AM trash run is basically a dinner bell.
Just so you know, they also eat ticks by the thousands, so that dumpster critter is quietly doing pest control. You're welcome. And yes, the whole "playing de*d" thing they do when you catch them in the trash alley is a real involuntary reflex - even they can't control it.
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via @woofknight
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via @woofknight
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via @woofknight
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via Gladysopossum
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via @wholesome-animal-images
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via memegenerator.net
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via @Brendameow1
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via @Brendameow1
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via @Brendameow1
The odds of a trash encounter with a raccoon are basically guaranteed. Raccoons have famously dexterous front paws that can undo latches, twist lids, and generally out-engineer whatever "raccoon-proof" bin you bought. They're nocturnal omnivores that thrive in cities specifically because human garbage is a buffet with zero effort required. Their scientific name, Procyon lotor, literally references their habit of manipulating food with their hands - trash-can burglary is basically their whole résumé.
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via @grumpyanimalmemes
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via @grumpyanimalmemes
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via @grumpyanimalmemes
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via @grumpyanimalmemes
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via @grumpyanimalmemes
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via @grumpyanimalmemes
The probability of you seeing a rat in the trash is sky-high, especially in cities. Brown rats (aka Norway rats) are the ones most likely haunting your alley, and they're elite climbers, swimmers, and squeezers-through-tiny-gaps. They're omnivorous and thrive wherever humans generate food waste, which is why sewers and dumpsters are basically prime rat real estate.
They're also incredibly social and smart - so if you see one, there are definitely more you didn't see. Also, the reason why they have a domesticated version many people keep as pets.
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via @panmaumau
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via @hometoursandotherstuff
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via @XMemeMachine
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via Wilderness Society
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via @IsaRatties
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via Mst Sumi Rani
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via @wholesome-animal-images
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via @wholesome-animal-images
Your odds of meeting a skunk while taking out your trash are lower, but not zero. Skunks are opportunistic omnivores that prefer insects, grubs, and small critters over garbage - but they won't say no to an easy trash meal if it's there. They're nocturnal, so late-night bin raids do happen. Just don't startle one: that iconic spray comes from glands near the base of the tail, and they can aim it accurately several feet. Respect the trash panda's smellier cousin.
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via @Fred_Delicious
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via @hometoursandotherstuff
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via @woofknight
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via @DogMemesGalore