Dhole

wild dog · Asia · pack hunter · endangered

Unique canine skull. Dholes have a special skull shape that curves outward instead of inward like other dogs, and they're missing a tooth that other dogs have. This makes them different from regular wolves and domestic dogs, even though they're all in the same dog family.

Ancient Asian range. Millions of years ago during the Pleistocene period, dholes roamed all across Asia and even parts of Europe. Over the last 12,000 to 18,000 years, they've disappeared from most of these places and now live only in South and Southeast Asia.

Pack hunting dogs. Dholes are the only members of their own special dog genus called Cuon, which makes them scientifically special and different from all other wild dogs. They hunt together in coordinated groups, working as a team to survive in their forest homes.

Vanishing from many places. Dholes have become extinct in Central Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, and possibly in Korea and Russia where they once lived. Today they only survive in scattered regions of South and Southeast Asia, making them increasingly rare and vulnerable.