In this situation, you may want to dial in some exposure compensation to avoid blown-out highlights.
You don’t have control over the light when you shoot outdoors. On a dark, overcast day, you can’t just flip a switch and get more light. So you adjust your camera according to the light you have. Bright sunlight, especially when the sun is high in the sky, casts harsh shadows. This can be distracting and can obscure details in the animal or background. In this situation, you may want to dial in some exposure compensation to avoid blown-out highlights.