CLEVELAND, Feb. 4 -- Wild Republic, the toy brand of K&M International, Inc. has partnered with the National Audubon Society to develop a realistic line of collectible 5" plush beanbag birds -- with authentic sounds. The impeccable detailing and designing in these birds are the result of inputs from Audubon. The original sounds in these birds have been provided by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This exclusive partnership with both organizations will be announced at the American International Toy Fair in New York City this February 10-14, 2002.

The Audubon Birds collection currently consists of 4 Series of 5" plush beanbag birds, including three Backyard Birds series and one Water Birds series (a total of 24 birds), as well as 3" Mini Clip birds (12 birds) and 11" Water Birds (6 birds). Wild Republic plans to add more series in the coming months based on the success of this program.

"We're very excited about our partnership with Audubon and Cornell," said Manjit Dhillon, Marketing Manager for Wild Republic. "The popularity of these birds has soared through the roof because of their collectibility and widespread appeal. We are striving hard just to keep up with our current demand, which is growing every day."

These birds will be sold primarily through specialty outlets and zoos and museums throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The National Audubon Society is an environmental organization whose mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Its Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds holds the world's largest collection of bird, mammal, amphibian and other natural sounds.

Wild Republic, the toy brand from K&M International, Inc., is headquartered near Cleveland, Ohio and is the leading provider of nature- themed toys to the zoo, aquarium and museum markets and also provides nature products for specialty toy and gift markets. Wild Republic's Web site is located at www.wildrepublic.com.