Badly sung by beasts (4)
I believe the answer is:
gnus
'beasts' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both animals as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'badly sung' is the wordplay.
'badly' indicates an anagram.
'sung' with letters rearranged gives 'GNUS'.
'by' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for gnus that I've seen before include "Animals" , "South African antelopes" , "Snug (anag) -- wildebeest" , "Big game" , "Strange guns for the beasts" .)