The animal is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph) with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being 93 and 98 km/h , and as such has several adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail. It typically reaches 67–94 cm at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m. 

Adults weigh between 21 and 72 kg. Its head is small, rounded, and has a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. The coat is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff and is mostly covered with evenly spaced, solid black spots. Four subspecies are recognised.

The animals are the largest existing land animals. 

Distinctive features include a long proboscis called a trunk, tusks, large ear flaps, massive legs, and tough but sensitive skin. The trunk is used for breathing, bringing food and water to the mouth, and grasping objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. The pillar-like legs carry their great weight.

The animal is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. 

The animal is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal and ungulate native to sub-Saharan Africa. The name comes from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος).

The animals are some of the largest remaining megafauna, with all species able to reach or exceed one tonne in weight. They have a herbivorous diet, small brains (400–600 g) for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick (1.5–5 cm) protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African species lack teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their lips to pluck food.^[1]