A fierce dog, the elusive dhole (Cuon alpinus) was possibly named in 1808 by soldier Thomas Williamson, who encountered the animal in Ramghur district, India. He stated that dhole was a common local name for the species. Then in 1827, naturalist Charles Hamilton Smith claimed that it was derived from a language spoken in various parts of the East. Other English names for the species include Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog, whistling dog, red dog, red wolf, and mountain wolf. Native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia, it is about the size of a German shepherd but looks more like a long-legged fox. They are fast runners, excellent swimmers, impressive jumpers, and live in packs of between 5 and 12.