Anthropogenic environmental change is continuing to accelerate globally and has important ecological consequences for virtually all life on Earth. There is extensive knowledge of the costs of anthropogenic change across many taxa, but there are also disparate examples of animals exploiting these changes and increasing their fitness. Species may benefit from novel or enhanced resources, variation in physical conditions, or from shifting biotic interactions arising from anthropogenic impacts. Here, we explore the breadth of examples, drawn from different biomes and fields of research, of animals that exploit anthropogenic change. We highlight the potential for interactions between anthropogenic impacts and explore how long benefits are likely to last. Finally, we discuss the potential costs that can arise from differential shifts in species success, and the important management implications that arise when certain species are able to exploit change. Understanding not only which species suffer but also which species benefit from anthropogenic change is critical knowledge for management of biodiversity, food sources, and disease transmission in a world increasingly impacted by humans.