National Geographic report includes IMVM work of a Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-ULisboa student

National Geographic published an article about the Centro de Reprodução de Lebre-Ibérica (Iberian Hare Breeding Center) including the IMVM (Integrated Master in Veterinary Medicine) work of Sara Fernandes, a student of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-ULisboa.

In its January issue (No. 262), the portuguese National Geographic magazine included a study carried out during 2022, at the Centro de Reprodução de Lebre-Ibérica, where Sara Fernandes, a 6th year student of the Master in Veterinary Medicine (MIMV), is developing work related to her master's thesis.

To carry out the project, named "Pilot breeding study in the Iberian Hare (Lepus granatensis) - feeding and reproductive management", the student obtained support from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), and the work is supervised by Dr. Luísa Mateus (Professor at Faculty of Veterinary Medicine -ULisboa) and Dr. Fábio Abade dos Santos (founder of the Center for Reproduction and recent doctorate from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine-ULisboa).

The project aims to develop equipment and a protocol for collecting semen from the Iberian hare (a vulnerable and key species in Mediterranean ecosystems), as well as to evaluate the quality and potential of this semen for artificial insemination. Thus, by improving the reproduction of the Iberian hare in captivity, it will be possible to reintroduce more specimens into the wild, reversing the trend towards extinction of the species.

Source: FMVUL.