The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 letter word ELK
E
L
K
More clues leading to the result ELK
- Creature in novel, 'Kidnapped'
- Animal in shackles falling back
- Deer trapped in park leapt up
- Foreign animal seen in Selkirk
- Animal in a novel kind of situation
- You may see them in Yellowstone National Park, finally
- Holding this beast back is thankless
- Spanish man takes anaesthetic for animal?
- Animal described by Immanuel Kant
- Like some parts of deer
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Animal" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case animal = elk.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 ELK mean?
ELK noun- Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).
- The European wild, whistling, or common swan (Cygnus cygnus, syn. Cygnus ferus).