 Dio and Martial record some of the animals that were exhibited . Dio notes a hunt involving cranes and another involving four elephants , and Martial mentions elephants , lions , leopards , at least one tiger , hares , pigs , bulls , bears , wild boar , a rhinoceros , buffalo and bison ( most likely the wisent ) . Other exotic animals may have been used but are not mentioned ; ostriches , camels and crocodiles were commonly used in the games . Giraffes are unlikely to have been featured ; Julius Caesar had brought a single giraffe to Rome in 46 BC . Another is not recorded in Europe until the Medici giraffe in 1486 , although they were first seen in Rome in 58 BC , and were impressive enough to be detailed in the games of Augustus and Commodus , there is no mention of hippopotami at Titus ' games . 
