The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word WARTHOGS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
W
A
R
T
H
O
G
S
More clues leading to the result WARTHOGS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "African animals" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case african animals = warthogs.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does WARTHOGS mean?
WARTHOGS noun- A wild pig of the genus Phacochoerus, native to Africa.
- A nickname for the A-10 Thunderbolt II air support warplane