The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word CIVETS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
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V
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T
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Carnivorous animals" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case carnivorous animals = civets.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 CIVETS mean?
CIVETS noun- A carnivorous catlike animal, Civettictis civetta, that produces a musky secretion. It is two to three feet long, with black bands and spots on the body and tail.
- The musky perfume produced by the animal.
- Any animal in the family Viverridae or the similar family Nandiniidae
- Any of several species of spotted skunk, in the genus Spilogale.