Derwent College’s unofficial mascot and University of York icon, Long Boi, remains missing, with no confirmed sightings since mid-March.
Many fear he has passed away with people on social media sharing “Rest in Peace Long Boi” in recent days.
A University of York spokesperson noted in a statement:
“Long Boi is a much-loved character on campus and whilst we haven’t seen him around over the past few weeks, we continue to keep a lookout for him and hope to see him again, safe and well, soon”
YUSU followed up on Instagram:
“You may have already heard the news that Long Boi is missing, and hasn’t been seen for some time… The truth is we may never know what has happened to him, but we do know he was loved by all, and a true celebrity rubbing shoulders (or necks) with the likes of James Corden and Greg James.
His royal longthness was the king of Campus West, the ruler of the lake, the pride and joy of students.”
The news of Long Boi’s absence has been noted nationally, with BBC News reporting on Wednesday night.
BBC Radio’s Greg James also commented after talking with the University of York on air Thursday morning. Having had the famous duck on his show back in March, James shared his sadness on Twitter, stating “Some people are saying dead but I refuse to believe it.”
The University of York’s Activities Officer Rohan Ashar released a ‘tribute’ ahead of a scheduled ITV appearance later today.
“I’m really saddened by the news that Long Boi is missing. He has been part of my university life from the start… Long Boi has provided so much joy for students and staff here at York over the years… he made it cool to be different and was such a vital part of our community.”
“Long Boi, thank you for everything, and I hope you are faring well out there somewhere little buddy.”
Zoe from the ‘Longboiyork’ fan account on Instagram, which often kept track of the Indian Runner duck’s locations on campus and shared many photos of the bird, noted his unusual absence: “This is the longest that he has been absent since first appearing on campus in early 2019… he has never gone missing like this before.”
“Very sadly, this disappearance suggests a strong possibility that Long Boi may have passed away.”
“It is unclear how or exactly when this may have occurred, and we can only hope that if Long Boi is really gone, his passing was peaceful.”
Students have also shared their sadness at the ongoing absence of a favourite mascot. “Fly high lil guy”, “Heartbroken” and “RIP to the longest Boi” were just a few of the messages shared on Instagram.
An internet sensation from 2021, with a verified Official Instagram page with over 56.1k followers, the unusually tall Indian runner duck Long Boi has a dedicated university society and large Uni of York fan base.
A common attraction for any walk around the Derwent lakes, Long Boi was a friendly bird, who took his unusual stardom in his short stride. The favourite duck to be fed by students both old and new, Long Boi was a natural at greeting students and often brought a spark of humour and joy to any passerby who managed to spot the iconic bird.
York Vision has created a space for members of the campus community to post tributes to the famous duck: