Tanisha Jain, sports officer for the University of York Students’ Union, was involved with the fundraising for the Long Boi memorial.
She told Sarah Dunphy that the duck had global appeal.
“We realised that there’s so much overwhelming love for Long Boi.
“I’m from India, and my friends and family in India knew who Long Boi was and they were like, “Oh my god, you go to the same university as Long Boi’.
“We knew we needed to commemorate his life somehow.”
The full interview is below.
People are gathering in the Central Hall of the University of York now ready for the ceremonies to begin.
The spotlight is on the statue of the willowy waterfowl, hidden under a sheet.
Here are some more pictures from Sarah at the scene.
Here’s the University of York vice chancellor Charlie Jeffery paying his tribute to Long Boi.
Absolutely no idea that a duck, a wonderful, engaging, distinctive duck, could generate so much passion.
So we’re going to have at Central Hall at the university, 700 or so students. It’s eight o’clock in the morning, and they’re all ready.
Students don’t normally do that! So this, this is a big thing for the university and for our students. They just love our animals on campus, and this one really took their imagination.
Here’s another personal memory of the lofty lake dweller, this time by Gen Andrews…
Reports are coming in of a crash on the A1079 near York this morning (Thursday, 26 September).
Two cars and a van are said to be involved in the collision near Wilberfoss.
Traffic is slow in the area.
More details when we get them.
Our Sarah Dunphy has been talking to folk on the University of York campus about their memories of Long Boi, the tall duck.
Here’s Kaitlyn Beattie-Zarb:
I saw him pretty much every day if he was on campus, I saw him, and I would walk past him on my way to lectures, and it was great, and you would feed him. And, like, it was just such a he was such a staple of my life there in first year.
