The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word ALPACAS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "They may be pack animals" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they may be pack animals = alpacas.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 ALPACAS mean?
ALPACAS noun- A sheep-like animal of the Andes, Vicugna pacos, in the camel family, closely related to the llama, guanaco, and vicuña.
- Wool from the alpaca.