Britain's most famous duck has gone missing with many fearing the worst, after he's not been seen for weeks.
Long Boi, who rose to international fame in 2021 with appearances on James Corden's Late Late Show and with Greg James on BBC Radio 1, has not been seen since mid-March.
He lives at the University of York and a fan account with more than 56,000 followers sparked fears after sharing that the 70cm tall bird has not been seen.
He was last since mid-March and it is the longest students have gone without seeing him since he first arrived in 2021.
A member of the campus' Ground and Estates team said that cases of bird flu had been affecting the historic city's ducks as others fear Long Boi could have been attacked by a fox, student newspaper Nouse reported.
Zoe Duffin, who runs the account, wrote online: "As many of you will be aware from the recent news, Long Boi has not been seen on campus for a number of weeks.
"This is very worrying and not like Long Boi, who can almost always be found in his favourite spot by the lake on campus West.
"Long Boi's age is unknown and 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 happened, and we can only hope that if Long Boi really is gone, his passing was peaceful.
"Long Boi’s rise to fame has also introduced us to new duck-loving friends, not just in York, but all around the world, brought together by our love for one incredibly unique duck - Long Boi will always be remembered by those who knew and loved him."
Not much is known about the Indian Runner Duck's background. as fans of his included former England footballer Peter Crouch.
The 6ft 7in footballer has previously tweeted his support for the bird, saying "That's my kind of duck!"
A University of York spokesperson told the Mirror: "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."
