K&M Big Cats Tube and some more....

Several years ago I found some primitive, Made-in-China cats in a local auction.
I sort of liked them, and was thrilled when I saw in this forum, that the " K & M " that was moulded on them, is actually a BRAND    

The pictures I made for my site were lousy, so for a long time I have wnated to make new ones, but then I could not find the kitties  

Then, this morning I woke up and knew where they were : In the bottom of the box of Britains, of course        

So here they are. The pictures are still not very good, but at least better than the old ones.
So please allow me to share my old cuties with you  
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Westie shows the size together with the cheetah  
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The lions    
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Jaguar and leopard    
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The lynx and the puma...hmmm, yes, if you know it    
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The ozelot, cheetah and...YESS!!! A clouded leopard  
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The tiger is very stocky, but the pose is nice  :)
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I LOVE the cloudy kitty  
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The pose of the jaguar is very nice also  
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There was an extra K&M-jaguar. Poor thing . Nobody seems to have been very careful, when he was made  
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Does anybody know how old they may be ?
I would be happy to get sa much info about these, - and to learn anything about K & M at all  

I have some of these too! From the wild cats tube/bag.

I have no idea how old they are I'm afaid. If you like I'll post some pictures of ones that aren't shown here? I know I have a snow leopard.

Also I can't tell you anything about K&M International

I think Andreas may be able to help

Those are really nice Susanne! I especially like the cheetah! :)

-Kristie

cute and interesting figures Susanne. are they considered vintage?

Steve170 wrote:

....If you like I'll post some pictures of ones that aren't shown here? I know I have a snow leopard.

Yes! Yes, please


Thankyou, Kristie, yes, I thik she is cute also

Sauroid, I would like to know also

Wild Republic give us many unusual species. That's the point I like more in this brand. I have myself some little figures from polybags. The quality is not the best but they are usually very cheap.
In this set we can see an ocelot and a clouded leopard, 2 species not available in most popular brands.
I don't know when this polybag was launched but we can find some information about the brand in some online shops - that's a commercial description but helpful.

Wild Republic / K&M International

"Fun comes naturally with Wild Republic toys. Children learn about the beauty and wonders of nature in entertaining and creative ways. With a wide range of interactive and innovative playthings, Wild Republic toys spark the imagination and make learning fun.

Most notably, Wild Republic nature toys inspire children to a respect and protect the natural world and care for its creatures. Wild Republic toys have earned praise and endorsement of some of the most prominent conservation organizations in the world - Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Geographic, The Natural History Museum, AZA and the Australia Zoo.

Wild Republic has been delighting and educating children with nature-related toys and gifts since 1979. Founded as K&M International as a family-owned and operated business, the Wild Republic brand has grown into an internationally recognized company distributing unique products throughout the world. Committed to nature and conservation, Wild Republic strives to be as environmentally friendly and ethically responsible as possible. "


I found this information here!

Their website is:
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That is fascinating ! Thankyou, Roger

Gosh! I thought they were more connected to PV than Wild Republic

Some of the K & M I have are really fine quality ...very much like PV

Congratulations Susanne!! I love this set!!

These are nice cats.
K&M is the brand belonging to Wild Republic. WR also uses other manufacturers sometimes, the Itty Bitty containers seem to be by Nayab. I wonder if Nayab may be the manufacturer for the K&M brand. It is not unusual for manufacturers to make special lines for certain clients with proprietary molds.

So perhaps K & M also had PV making models for then ?

These look like PV, so I thought they were that brand. But they are marked K&M 98

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Really interesting set Susanne! Like Kristie, I especially like the Cheetah. I also think the Ocelot is cool (just because it's an ocelot) and I like the Jaguar and the Leopard and how, from what little I know, the figures seem to reflect actual differences in the sizes and shapes of those two types of cats. Very nice! Thank you for sharing!

p.s. oh! and I like the elk, fox and grizzly too!

I am SO happy that y`all like them

As mentioned, - when I got them I saw them as cheap Mad-in-China models ( which they are, of course), but they do have that something
Yes, if nothing else, - then the choice of species

Oh they are lovely kitty cats, Susanne!! Thanks for sharing with us

HKHollinstone wrote:

Oh they are lovely kitty cats, Susanne!! Thanks for sharing with us

Thankyou, also from the kitties ! They are so happy I found them again

Such various poses! Great!

Yes I have this set as well and got it quite a few years ago.Some of the models are a a bit primitive but I like them never the less.I actually still have the tube they came in as well!

Sorry for bringing back this old topic but maybe it is useful to anyone who visits it.
As you probably know now, Susanne, the jaguar that is together with the Big Cats tube jaguar is from the Endagered Animals Tube (1998).
elk and grizzly are much probably from [url=K&M North American Bulk ]53129 North America Bulk[/url] while fox is similar to that from the North American tube although I believe these figures can be from more than one set.
By the way, these bulk figures are my favorite of all small K&M. Mainly htose that are marked 1997 and 1998. I hope to get that fox some day.

The hear was a unknown model for me :)