**5. The national cryobank: A saving tool of rabbit genetic resources**

In March 2008, the rabbit collections presented a large genetic diversity, which could be ranged according to three types of materials previously defined. Nearly sixty of rabbit populations have been cryopreserved. More than 19.000 embryos from about 1.300 rabbit doe donor have been frozen and are currently stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C. For all these populations, three methods of embryos production have been applied according to the situation and the physiological state of rabbit does (superovulation, eCG, simple induction of ovulation). Then, all these embryos were treated according to the same freezing protocol (Joly *et al*, 1998). All the actors working for the rabbit populations management are henceforth convinced of the interest of this tool. They have actively participated to the building of the rabbit French cryobank. Public and private selectors, associations of fancy breeders and different groups of independent breeders are regular depositor.
