Imagine a creature that looks like a mix between a border collie and a red fox, but acts like a highly coordinated athlete. This is the dhole (Cuon alpinus), often called the "Asiatic Wild Dog" or the "Red Dog." 

Dholes are known best for their red coat. I can be both long fur for those dholes that live in cold climates. Or short those who live where it's hot. Some dholes have white on their chins, chest, belly, legs, and feet; others have it just on their feet, and it looks like they are wearing socks! Some people say they look like foxes, but foxes have white-tipped tails, and dholes always have black tails. Foxes have pointed ears, while dholes have rounded ears. 

Click the buttons below to hear the vocalizations a dhole make!

Used for short-distance communications 

Used to warn of danger, especially when a tiger is near

Used for long-distance communications 

Used for individual talking, begging. 

Trying to locate pack members 

Dholes are among the most social animals in the wild. They live in families of 5 to 12 dholes, though some families have been seen with over 20! Unlike many other predators, dholes are incredibly cooperative. The entire pack helps care for the pups, and they rarely fight with one another over food.

Historically, dholes were found across almost all of East and Southern Asia, stretching from the freezing mountains of Russia and Mongolia down to the tropical islands of Indonesia. Today, their world has shrunk significantly. Most dholes now live in small pockets of India, Thailand, and parts of Southeast Asia. They prefer thick forests, grasslands, and alpine regions where they can find plenty of cover and large animals to hunt.

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Use these facts to help you answer questions in the games below!

Dholes are Endangered!
That means they could disappear if we don’t help. There are only about 2,500 adult dholes left in the wild, even though they’re awesome team hunters!​

What’s happening?
Their wild homes are shrinking
Their food is harder to find
They can get sick from stray pet dogs
Because they’re shy, dholes are often overlooked next to animals like the Bengal tiger.

Find different species names in the word search.  It might seem easy, but the words are camouflaged or hidden amongst random letters. Just like a tiger's stripes help it blend into the background. 

Check how much you learned by correctly answering the maze questions. You will play as a dhole navigating a maze to get to the correct answer. Warning, bad guys are trying to stop you! Sometimes there is more than one right answer, go to whichever one you can safely! Can you help our little dhole adventure make it home safe? 

How well do you think you know your endangered species? Chances are that if you knew about dholes, the rest of the animals in this quiz will be easy. There is one in there that extra hard to figure out! Don't worry we don't keep score. Have fun and see who you know and maybe even learn about a new species! 

Here are some activities you can do at home. Ask your parent or adult for helping getting started on some of these. Then remember to share your craft or activity with your friends of class! 

Click above to download and printable mask that you can color, cut out, and even wear. Perfect for show-n-tell and World Dhole Day!

Click above to print out directions on how to make your very own dhole pom-pom. With some red yard and items found around the house this is a perfect afternoon craft. 

Printed Activity Sheets

Dhole Coloring Pages

You can help dholes right now—and when you grow up!
​You don’t have to be a scientist to protect animals. Every small action helps wildlife all over the world.