Omg guys, a new Long Boi has been spotted on York’s campus and people are going crazy

What should we call him?

1 year ago

Jess Rolfe | News

Guys, a new Long Boi has been spotted on Uni of York’s campus near Derwent lake and the news feels too good to be true.

Earlier this year, news broke that The University of York’s famous campus duck, Long Boi, had sadly passed away, causing tributes to pour in from across the country.

This week, students have been sharing pictures and videos of the new long-necked duck on social media and with The York Tab, which has been spotted near Derwent lake.

Long Boi II has been spotted near Derwent

Over the weekend, students have been sharing pictures and videos of a new long-necked duck, who looks similar to the late Long Boi, taken near Derwent lake. One student told The York Tab that the duck “must be new” since “he wasn’t here last week.”

Videos shared by meme account @imjustyork_ show the long-necked duck waddling around Derwent lake. The account shared the videos, sent in by multiple students, saying: “Long Boi II has been spotted near Derwent”.

via @longboiyork

Who was Long Boi?

For the few of you who might not know, Long Boi was a beloved character not only in York and the UK, but also worldwide. With over 60k followers on Instagram, he was first spotted on York’s campus in 2019, and immediately stood out from the other ducks and geese at the lake. An Indian Runner Duck crossed with a Mallard believed to stand at 70cm tall, he was described as a “duck out of place” that “shouldn’t be here”.

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He rose to fame once York graduate Zoe Duffin set up an Instagram account dedicated to him, which quickly granted Long Boi a campus celebrity status. Memes then spread after a photoshopped Reddit post claimed him to be one metre tall, leading Long Boi to be featured in national news and on James Corden’s Late Late Show.

News of Long Boi’s disappearance made national news as tributes poured in from across the UK, including doughnuts, club nights, and a two minutes’ quack on Greg James’ BBC Radio One Breakfast Show.

Following calls from students, The University of York’s Student Union announced it would be raising up to £10,000 to fund a statue of Long Boi on campus. Having raised £5,500, Long Boi is officially getting a life-size statue in his memory. Applications to design the statue are open to anyone until the 15th October.

Long Boi 2 has been spotted at York Campus @gregjames #longboi pic.twitter.com/r3cKiOizBD

— Rachael Stone (@RachaelStone15) October 10, 2023

Is this Long Boi’s son?

Students have been reacting to the appearance of this new long-necked duck on social media, with many theorising that this could in fact be a descendent of the original Long Boi. In the comments the post by @imjustyork_ , students have called the new duck “Longboi junior” and “BABYBOI”.

One commenter said: “I love that longboi managed to pass on his genes”. Another added: “His child has come to prolong his legacy”.

Long Boi’s legacy is already set to be cemented at the Uni of York with plans to build a life-size statue of the late duck near Derwent lake where he lived. Could this new duck really be a direct descendant of Long Boi? Maybe it’s a sibling or close relative? Are we witnessing the start of a long line of Long Boi’s on York’s campus? Time will only tell…

Some students suspect Long Boi never really died

In the comments, other students have been theorising that this “new” Long Boi may actually be the original famous duck himself. One commenter suggested that “maybe he just came back from his summer holidays”, with another theorising that “he was in Ibiza for the summer”.

“My theory is longboi faked his own death but missed York too much”.

Others have been saying that the duck could be a reborn version of the original Long Boi, with many students commenting “he has risen”, with others adding “LEGENDS NEVER DIE”. Following this, one commenter said that: “He has rolled back the stone, and risen once again, all hail long boi the second!”

Image via @imjustyork

Can we really call him ‘Long Boi’?

Regardless where this new “Long Boi” has come from, and if he really could be a descendent of the original, students at York are now faced with the challenge of deciding what he should be called.

Though some have been quick to brand the new campus duck “Long Boi the second” or “Long Boi II”, others have suggested that this new campus resident needs a new name.

One commenter said: “If he is truly here he must accept that long boi was the og and so respectfully take up a different title like longthy lad, for example”.

Some suggested names have included longthy lad, “TallBoi”, “Longboi junior” and “Even longer boi”.

Is it too soon to replace Long Boi?

For a long time, Long Boi was the unofficial mascot of the Uni of York, and without him on campus we have been in the market for a new personality. It’s only been a couple months since Long Boi’s passing, and if this really could be his son or a relative, that would make for a nice end to a sad story.

But are we jumping too soon to crown Long Boi’s replacement? In the comments of @imjustyork_ ‘s post, some have argued that the original Long Boi can’t be replaced, saying: “LongBoi 2? more like LongFraud”.

Others have questioned if this new Long Boi is even as long and his predecessor, with one commenter saying “he’s not longthy enough”, with another adding the duck is “not long enough, sorry”.

Are you excited to see a new Long Boi on campus? If so what should we call him? Or do you think this is all too soon?

If you have any pictures, videos or opinions DM us on Instagram @theyorktab

Featured image via @i’mjustyork_