animal trail; game trail
A narrow path in the wild created by animals, not by humans. Often used in hiking or nature contexts.
I found an animal trail in the mountains.
この獣道は鹿が通った跡だ。
This game trail is a trace left by deer.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, common in casual writing.
Katakana-kanji spelling, sometimes used for stylistic effect.
Compound of 獣 (けもの, 'beast') and 道 (みち, 'path'). The reading けものみち is a straightforward combination.