Viral sensation duck Long Boi missing from university campus

An Instagram account dedicated to Long Boi, which has more than 56,000 followers, confirmed he had not been seen since mid-March.

York university campus duck Long Boi went viral due to his impressive stature (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Archive)

A duck that became an internet sensation has disappeared from the university campus where he lived.

The mallard-Indian runner cross, named Long Boi due to his tall stature, was dubbed a local celebrity at the University of York.

Long Boi arrived on campus in 2019 and went viral after a Reddit post incorrectly described him as “the tallest mallard duck to have ever lived… over 1m tall”.

It was later confirmed the duck stands at around 70cm.

A post on an Instagram account dedicated to Long Boi, which has more than 56,000 followers, confirmed he has not been seen since mid-March.

The post said: “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.

“Any information on sightings of Long Boi or his last known location would be incredibly useful in working out what may have happened.”

The post finished: “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.”

Long Boi has featured on Greg James’s BBC Radio 1 show and James Corden’s The Late Late Show in the US.

Zoe Duffin, who runs the Instagram account, told the PA news agency in 2021: “We started feeding and taking photos of him, coining the name Long Boi due to his tall stature.

“We did feel a bit sorry for him, as he didn’t fit in with all the other ducks and was being shunned by them, he seemed quite lonely.

“Over time he’s grown quite a following with York students, he’s quite a campus celebrity, and has since flourished and integrated with the other waterfowl.”