It is unsure how many of Hannibal's elephants even survived the march across the alps. When Hannibal clashed with the Romans at the Trebia, he still had some elephants alive (the claims range from "some" to "all 37") but those that survived the battle fell ill from infections and a sudden cold snap afterwards. Livy claims that only one, named Surus ("The Syrian"), was alive by the time of the Battle of Lake Trasimene (although Polybius states that several survived the Battle of the Trebia, but makes no mention of their fate).

What happened to this (presumably) lone elephant afterwards is unclear, there are no accounts of him being present at Cannae, although some accounts claim that Hannibal entered the city of Capua (that turned allegiance after Hannibal's victory at Cannae) riding an elephant in triumph.

Livy and other Roman authors such as Cato also note that this single surviving elephant was often ridden by Hannibal himself, who used a platform on the animal's back to observe the battles.