Dire animal

A dire animal was a larger and more powerful version of an ordinary animal. It was also sometimes called a giant animal.

Description
Dire animals were tougher, bigger, and meaner versions of ordinary animals. They also appeared to be more feral and violent than other animals. Their appearance was somewhat prehistoric and demonic.

Such animals were more resistant to certain magical spells, such as enrage animals. Some spells also allowed dire animals to be summoned, to the aid of the caster.

The animal forms of many lycanthropes were of the dire version, such as werebadgers, wererats, and even weremoles.