Threatened species of Cuon alpinus

Dholes can attack livestock, so are persecuted as pests.

The dhole is found from the Altai Mountains in Manchuria in Central and Eastern Asia, its range spreads southwards through the forest tracts of India, Burma, and the Malayan Archipelago. Three races of the dhole exist in India alone (Trans-Himalayan, Himalayan, and Peninsular). Their hunting range is about 40 sq km. The dhole can be found in dense forest steppes, and the thick jungles of the plains as well as the hills. It is never found in the open plains and deserts.

There are 10 subspecies of the dhole differing in colour and size. Names vary in different parts of its range. English: Dhole, Red dog, Asiatic wild dog. Assamese: Kuang-kukur, rang-kukur. Bengali: Ban Kutta, Ban-kukur. Bhutanese: Phara. Burmese: Tan-kwe. Canarese: Ken-nai, chen-nai. Chenchu: Reis-kukul. Chinese: Nyar. Gujiarati: Earam-naiko. Gurkhali: Ban-kukur. Hindi: Adivi-kuta, son-kuta, sona-kuta, rasa-kuta. Hindustani: Jungli-kuta, rwn-kuta, ban-kuta. Kachin: Kyi-kwa-lam. Kashmiri: Jungli-kuta, ram-hun, ban-kuta, bhansa. Korku: Bun-secta. Lepcha: sa-tun. Malay: Sirgala, Aijing-kutar. Malayalam: Hahmasai-kuta, kotsun, kolsa, kolarsi. Nepali: Bwaso. Tibetan: Phara. Tamil: Chen-nai. Telegu: Vanna-kooka. Thai: Maa Paa.

The IUCN considers the dhole as "Vulnerable". Two of the subspecies are listed as "Endangered" by the IUCN (East Asian dhole and West Indian dhole). The subspecies Cuon alpinus primaerus, and C. a. laniger are on the verge of extinction.