 Both Dio and Suetonius agree that gladiatorial contests and a wild @-@ beast hunt , the venatio , also took place at the lake area , but they again disagree on the details . Dio states this took place on the first day , with the lake covered over with planking and wooden stands erected around it , while Suetonius says the events occurred in the basin after the water had been let out . Suetonius writes that 5 @,@ 000 animals were killed there in a single day . Although no record of the animals pursued in these hunts survives ( Dio mentions hunts of cranes and elephants but does not give a location ) , larger exotic animals were popular , notably elephants , big cats and bears , though smaller game such as birds , rabbits and goats also featured . 
