Wanted: flamingos for St. Pete’s oldest attraction

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Sunken Gardens, the city’s oldest tourist attraction, is short of its biggest stars: pink flamingos.

The Tampa Bay Times reports (http://bit.ly/1z4Vgw5) that Sunken Gardens is down to George and Lucy, its last two flamingos.

Two Sunken Garden volunteers started a nonprofit quest called Flamingos Forever about a year ago to replenish the flock. With $30,000 raised, it’s now about halfway to what’s needed to purchase 20 flamingos.

It’s best to acquire flamingos in groups of 20 or more, because they are most likely to mate when they feel the security of living in a large flock. For that reason, most breeders will only sell them in lots of at least 20.

Anyone who donates $3,000 buys naming rights of a new bird.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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