Long Boi has been officially presummed dead in a statement released by the University of York on Thursday morning’s Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
Greg James shared the statement, before running a segment about Long Boi through which mourners could offer tributes in memory of the iconic duck.
The statement, which also appeared on the University and YUSU Instagrams concludes:
“Following a period of almost two months without a confirmed sighting of Long Boi, we are today forced to conclude that he has passed away.”
“We appreciate that this is not the resolution that many people were wishing for, but hope that acknowledging his passing allows us to focus on celebrating his life and commemorating the time he spent with us.”
“During his time on campus, Long Boi brought joy to staff, students, alumni and visitors of York. Our beautfiul campus and wonderful grounds team provided a rich life for him during the four years he lived with us.”
The statement goes on to note deep gratitude for the “community of fans who have given their time, energy and skills to celebrating Long Boi”.
Even before this statement was issued, students had already begun commemorating Long Boi, laying flowers and his photo on a bench on campus. However, the University has suggested students instead use this as a reminder to support the environment, such as “feeding the ducks or making a charitable donation in Long Boi’s memory.”
The statement also notes the YUSU are working on a fitting tribute and official fundraising campaign.
Now national news, the University statement has also been shared by BBC news, York Press and UoY Nouse. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-65555546
Long Boi was announced as missing last week after almost 2 months of absence on campus. Social media tributes began appearing on May 3rd after the @LongBoiYork Instagram account shared a statement regarding his potential demise.
Zoe Duffin in the @longboiyork statement, expressed their gratitude for the community and joy Long Boi provided, and now look forward to celebrating his life in his anticipated commemorations.
YUSU President Pierrick Roger commented “Long live the Longth” and YUSU Activities and Wellbeing Officers Rohan Ashar and Hannah Nimmo shared, “Live Laugh Longth” in response to the University’s statement.
Having appeared on BBC Radio 1 back in March, Greg James also shared his shock on Twitter last week “MISSING. Some people are saying dead but I refuse to believe it.”
Long Boi lived on West Campus, often spotted around Derwent college, and became iconic for his unusually long neck. First seen on campus back in 2019, he was an Indian Runner Duck and was beloved on campus, even inspiring his own society.
The unofficial mascot for the University, Long Boi inspired a range of merchandies including fluffy toys previously given to graduates, new Long Boi hoodies and was even the subject of a student’s tattoo in April.
Going viral in a reddit post from 2021, and later appearing on James Corden’s ‘The Late Late Show’, the duck’s verified Instagram page has over 56.1k followers.
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 always brought a spark of humour and joy to any passerby who managed to spot the iconic bird.