Their reddish fur and wolf-like features might fool you into thinking they're foxes.
Their long backs and slender limbs might suggest a close relationship with cats.
They can't bark, so surely they can't be dogs… right?
But these are in fact the utterly adorable — bordering on unbelievable — Asiatic whistling dogs: the dholes.
And almost no one has heard of them, which is a true tragedy.
Because while they may not be able to bark the way domesticated dogs do, what really sets dholes apart is the noises they can make.
Clucks, screams and whistles cut through the forest as they carefully coordinate a hunt. These specialist canines are expert communicators as well as extremely social creatures, living and working together in tight-knit teams where each member plays a crucial role.
But their intimate families are being torn apart.
Across the globe, dholes are disappearing at a horrifying rate.
One by one, vicious snares see their whistles become whimpers, and humans introduce deadly diseases into their close communities, causing their clucks to go quiet.
These beautiful dogs are fading away.
In some areas, such as Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains, snares litter the ground. These cruel devices trap the limb of any poor dhole unfortunate enough to cross their path, tightening mercilessly as the helpless dog fights desperately to escape. But, more often than not, it's already too late.
There are now fewer than 2,500 mature dholes left in the world. They are hurtling towards extinction.
If we don't stand up for them now, we could soon lose them forever — they are in urgent need of your support.
And so are we.
We need your help to get essential equipment into the hands of those that need it most — to buy a warden a fresh pair of boots, a new raincoat or a sturdy rucksack to replace those worn out by thousands of hours spent patrolling through challenging landscapes like the Cardamom Mountains, painstakingly sweeping and removing snares as they go.
These dedicated locals protect so many species, day in and day out, including the wonderful dholes. If every Care2 member reading this gave just €30 right now, we could make sure they have everything they need to protect these innocent creatures.
Dholes are one of the world's most extraordinary canines — together, we can ensure they don't fall silent.
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