A statue of Long Boi, a duck whose unusual height made him a local legend, is set to be immortalised with a statue in York.
Greg James dedicated his Radio 1 Breakfast Show on Thursday morning to the Indian runner mallard duck, which had become a hero among university students due to his lofty 70cm stature.
Long Boi has been presumed dead as he has not been seen around the University of York since last year.
James led a memorial service from York Central Hall from 9.30am.
He broadcast poems of tribute to the duck, as well as dedicating his Ten Minute Takeover segment, a request feature, to duck-themed songs.
Listeners selected Duck Sauce by Barbra Streisand, James Blunt’s Goodbye My Lover, and the hit from Naughty Boy featuring Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin, Runnin’. He later played I Miss You, by Blink-182.
The statue will stand at Derwent College’s lake, on the University of York campus.
The students’ union said £5,347 had been raised to fund it, according to the BBC.
But who is Long Boi and why is he special?
Who is Long Boi?
Long Boi gained fame around the University of York campus after he began showing up in 2018.
He is a 70cm tall Indian runner mallard and towers over his companions. Mallards are usually 35cm tall and Indian runners can be up to 75cm but usually top out at a lower height, according to Ashton Waterfowl.
Students, being students, took him to heart and gave him a nickname. In no time, an Instagram page was set up in his honour and it has reached 58,000 visitors.
And James has featured him several times on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show to add to his legacy, even once attempting to interview him.
But on May 3, 2023, the Instagram account posted the sad news that nobody had seen Long Boi for a long time.
A statement read: “The impact that Long Boi has had on our duck-loving community here in York has been incredible to witness – walking across campus, you’ll always spot a group of students looking for Long Boi, his image adorns our student society logos, merch and advertising, and he has even become an unofficial mascot of the university itself.
“Whether going to feed Long Boi as a well-earned stress relief during exam season, or awaiting his light-hearted Instagram updates through times of uncertainty and lockdowns, Long Boi has always brought a smile to his fans and friends.”
