Crossword Genius

Tail the animal had caught in (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

shadow

'tail' is the definition.
('shadow' can be a synonym of 'tail')

'the animal had caught in' is the wordplay.
'the animal' becomes 'sow'.
'caught in' is an insertion indicator.
'sow' placed around 'had' is 'SHADOW'.

(Other definitions for shadow that I've seen before include "Trace - dog" , "Image caused by obscuring of light" , "Dark shape (on the Opposition front bench?)" , "Unilluminated area" , "Darkness caused by obstruction" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.