THERE have been bears in Birmingham, elephants in Sheffield, cows in New York, snowdogs in Brighton – and who can forget the Gromits unleashed in Oxford or those ubiquitous Uoo Uoos Down Under?

Now, giant puffins are getting in on the act along the East Yorkshire coast, with a colony of more than 40 nesting in often unlikely places. Each is 1.5 metres tall and they’re unlike any puffins you’ve ever seen before.

Puffins Galore! is the latest wildlife-themed public sculpture trail to open in the UK and is aptly sited in an area already known as a ‘puffin paradise’ thanks to its dramatic cliffside breeding sites.

A puffin parade of the colourful, artist decorated fibreglass sculptures has sprung up at coastal locations from Flamborough Head to Spurn Point, as well as in the popular seaside resort of Bridlington.

More unusual habitats for the comical critters include the medieval market town of Beverley, while Yorkshire’s only maritime city, Hull, is also on the puffin trail.

Once the trail is finished, at the end of October, the sculptures will be auctioned to raise money for the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Hornsea Inshore Rescue and the RNLI.

The initiative follows similar schemes in the region, including Larkin with Toads and A Moth for Amy, and is supported by Yorkshire Coast BID and Visit East Yorkshire.

East Yorkshire has long been a must-see destination for spotting the real-life seabirds, which return annually to the cliffs to breed, before heading off back to sea again in mid-August.

The Flamborough Headland, and the towering Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve, is one of the best places in the UK to see puffins from land – and is already a draw for visitors during the breeding season.

For more information on the trail, and an interactive map showing the location of all 42 birds, visit www.puffinsgalore.co.uk. For event news and updates on East see www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk