Here’s why there’s a flock of pretend flamingoes in a Florida park

A flock of flamingoes now stretches as far as the eye can see in these pictures from Florida.

The fake birds stand in Lake Eola Park as part of a breast cancer awareness scheme by Florida Hospital.

Some 1,890 pink yard flamingoes have been installed in 12 central Florida locations – each showing the number of women expected to be diagnosed in their respective cities.

While the birds are making a new home at Lake Eola Park, the scheme has been running since 2011.

“The idea of Pink Out is to raise awareness about the importance of screening and early detection in the fight against breast cancer,” said a hospital spokesman.

“Pink Out is also a fundraising initiative, with funds helping uninsured or underinsured women access mammograms and other services.”

Pink Out from Florida Hospital coincides with October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer said: “Each year we enjoy seeing these flamingo flocks pop up around town, and they serve as an effective visual reminder of the importance of mammograms.”

“Breast cancer is very treatable when detected early, and we want women to know that getting a mammogram is not only extremely important, it can also be convenient and affordable,” said Dr Lisa Minton, surgeon and breast cancer specialist at Florida Hospital.

There’s a history stretching back to the 1950s of pink yard flamingoes being used as garden decorations in Florida.