Vio a los elefantes

Question

I thought you don't need to use the personal a with animals although it's commonly used with pets. Is that so? So couldn't it be "vio los elefantes"?

Inma Sánchez · Answer

Hola StephWe don't tend to use the "a" with animals if we're talking about them as in "generic animals", but we often use the "a" if there is an emotional or personal nuance, like in this case, where the narrator is expressing that affection towards the animals - something similar to when we talk about our own pets.But you could have used it without the "a" and it'd be correct, as we don't specify any nuance here in the exercise.I hope this clarified it.SaludosInma