When you think of exotic animals, chances are New Carlisle doesn’t come to mind right away. Once you see these 5 animals, you’ll change your mind. You may even decide to add a new pet to your family!

5. An Awesome Opossum

 
This little fella looks like I did when I found out Wot-A-Dog wasn’t opening this year. Snapped on the 300 block of Prentice, this photo shows us just how photogenic these critters are.

4. The Skanky Skunk

 
This little guy will probably want to take a bath after waking up in Mrs. Daniel’s rusty old trash barrel yet again.

3. Good Morning Ratcat

 
Early settlers introduced the ratcat to the area as a means to control the growing bat population. It failed miserably as ratcats have no means to fly while bats on the other hand are known to have wings. The ratcat population exploded due to the abundance of insects in the area. Unfortunately they ended up spreading disease throughout the New Carlisle area causing dozens of settlers to be eradicated. Eventually the ratcat died out through the introduction of several thousand predatory birds and only 3 small colonies remain today. Claude Hole caught this little guy trying to munch on his 3 month old daughter Sunday morning.

2. Emma the Emerald Ash Borer

 
This young lady was shot nibbling on an ash tree. Imagine having an insect eating your body from the inside out. That’s exactly what this gal does.

1. Feral Dumpster Cats

 
These kitties seem to love this Park Layne dumpster. Its trash must contain an aphrodisiac because this cat colony grows larger every year.