First, solve the barred crossword using the clues:
G | O | P | P | E | R | S | G | O | D | F | R | O | S | T |
U | B | A | H | N | I | H | A | P | A | U | A | R | T | E |
N | E | R | D | J | O | R | G | E | H | S | E | G | A | L |
A | S | A | L | O | T | U | S | C | L | I | M | A | T | E |
M | E | D | A | Y | S | G | O | B | I | O | O | N | U | S |
E | L | O | I | H | O | S | T | S | A | N | T | H | E | M |
B | O | X | C | A | R | S | B | O | U | T | E | E | G | S |
A | C | H | E | R | B | L | I | S | S | A | L | E | R | T |
S | H | I | P | P | O | P | O | P | A | M | I | G | O | S |
O | D | E | S | S | A | E | T | A | G | E | S | E | G | A |
Y | O | K | O | H | L | A | S | H | E | M | I | N | O | R |
A | N | I | M | A | L | S | P | E | T | I | T | T | I | S |
H | A | V | O | C | O | O | P | I | U | M | S | I | L | O |
A | T | A | T | K | U | U | D | D | R | E | U | L | E | R |
B | E | S | T | S | T | R | E | I | N | D | R | E | R | E |
The crossword grid contains a number of letters that are trapped “between bars”. As suggested by the flavor text (“Release your inner animal!”), each of these trapped letters can be changed to spell the name of an animal. There are eight total (as explicitly clued by 73 Across), and are highlighted here:
G | O | P | P | E | R | S | G | O | D | F | R | O | S | T |
U | B | A | H | N | I | H | A | P | A | U | A | R | T | E |
N | E | R | D | J | O | R | G | E | H | S | E | G | A | L |
A | S | A | L | O | T | U | S | C | L | I | M | A | T | E |
M | E | D | A | Y | S | G | O | B | I | O | O | N | U | S |
E | L | O | I | H | O | S | T | S | A | N | T | H | E | M |
B | O | X | C | A | R | S | B | O | U | T | E | E | G | S |
A | C | H | E | R | B | L | I | S | S | A | L | E | R | T |
S | H | I | P | P | O | P | O | P | A | M | I | G | O | S |
O | D | E | S | S | A | E | T | A | G | E | S | E | G | A |
Y | O | K | O | H | L | A | S | H | E | M | I | N | O | R |
A | N | I | M | A | L | S | P | E | T | I | T | T | I | S |
H | A | V | O | C | O | O | P | I | U | M | S | I | L | O |
A | T | A | T | K | U | U | D | D | R | E | U | L | E | R |
B | E | S | T | S | T | R | E | I | N | D | R | E | R | E |
Each of the eight locations on the grid provides 2 letters:
Grid text | Animal | From | To |
---|---|---|---|
GOPPERS |
GOPHERS |
P |
H |
GEHSE |
GEESE |
H |
E |
BIOON |
BISON |
O |
S |
CARSBOU |
CARIBOU |
S |
I |
HIPPOPOPAMI |
HIPPOPOTAMI |
P |
T |
KOHLAS |
KOALAS |
H |
A |
OCOOPI |
OCTOPI |
O |
T |
REINDRER |
REINDEER |
R |
E |
This yields two words, which fit into the blanks provided under the crossword:
P H O S P H O R H E S I T A T E
There’s another animal trapped in the bar. Applying the
mechanic one more time yields the animal
HORSES
, which is the answer.