Fewer embrace animal (3)
I believe the answer is:
ewe
'animal' is the definition.
(female sheep)
'fewer embrace' is the wordplay.
'embrace' says the answer is hidden in the clue (I've seen 'embraced' mean this).
'EWE' is hidden in the letters of 'fewer'.
(Other definitions for ewe that I've seen before include "21a [SHEEP]" , "Farm animal" , "Female ovine" , "Ruminant" , "Lamb's dam" .)