ANSWERS: Meta-Crossword 5: Animal Collective

It's been almost two weeks since I've posted my fifth meta-crossword, and since then, eleven of you (well, twelve if you count Joseph DeVincentis, who test-solved this puzzle for me) have managed to successfully figure out the BONUS PUZZLE. That number's a little lower than my previous metas, but what can you do? Anyway, here's the complete list of solvers:

• Adam Weaver ****
• Mom ***
• Grant Fikes ****
• Yossi Fendel ****
• Sam Levitin ****
• Debbie Benford ****
• Eric Maddy ****
• Dan Simonds ***
• Tyler Hinman ****
• Lynn Sweeney *
• Paolo Pasco ****

Now just head below the break for the answers, along with some solver comments and some pictures of a few of the answers!

The first word of each of the four longest across entries is also the name of a group of specific animals: SCHOOL, PRIDE, MURDER, and CRASH. Three of these groups crosses with the name of the animal that it consists of (SCHOOL of FISH, PRIDE of LIONs, and CRASH of RHINOs): but one doesn't: MURDER. The full name of that group is a MURDER of CROWs, so CROW is the answer to the BONUS PUZZLE!

Solver Tyler Hinman said that the "Title pretty much gives it away, but good one anyway. :-)" [Well, it was either that or calling it "Animal Crossing"...]

"I see dead people" - Actual quote from Lion

Solver Paolo Pasco said "Nice work, those 5x5-ish corners must have been monstrous to fill"

Solver Adam Weaver said that this was a "Nice theme. I enjoyed this meta."