The efficacy of peritoneal fluid from rabbit and goat for in vitro maturation, fertilization and initial culture of embryos from caprine oocytes was evaluated. Peritoneal fluid was collected from adult female goats (n = 9) or rabbits (n = 9). Good quality oocytes were subjected to in vitro maturation and fertilization in three different media viz. Tissue Culture Medium (TCM-199), goat Peritoneal Fluid (gPF) and rabbit Peritoneal fluid (rPF). Maturation rates were 74.7+/-2.07% and 63.6+/-5.28% in TCM-199, gPF 65.8+/-2.54% and 55.6+/-3.79%, and rPF 57.7+/-1.78% and 44.6+/-3.01% when evaluated on the basis of cumulus cell expansion and the achievement of metaphase-II stage, respectively. However, no significant differences were observed in respect of maturation rate between the control and gPF and between gPF and rPF groups. Freshly ejaculated buck semen was treated with heparin (10 microg/ml) and after 45 min incubation with heparin, 8.0% sperm were live and acrosome reacted. The proportions of fertilized oocytes based on male and female pronuclei formation or on cleavage development were 50.5+/-5.03, 42.3+/-3.15 and 34.2+/-1.98%; 31.0+/-2.80, 27.9+/-2.12 and 21.8+/-1.69% for TCM, gPF and rPF, respectively. It was concluded that peritoneal fluids either from goats or rabbits could be used as an alternative medium to TCM-199. However, further research is required to confirm its efficacy for embryo development up to the blastocyst stage.