If you don’t shed a tear over these pictures, then you have a heart of stone.
Almost a year to the day after York legend Long Boi was officially declared dead, the plans for a statue of him have been revealed.
And the artist has done our favourite duck proud.
Based at the University of York, Long Boi became world famous due to his lofty dimensions and kindly demeanour.
The mallard-Indian runner cross first appeared on the Heslington campus in 2019.
Living at the University of York, he became both a tourist attraction and many a student’s emotional support animal.
After achieving a high profile thanks to his Instagram account he made waves around the world.
Long Boi was among the few ducks to go viral, and he featured on Greg James’s BBC Radio 1 show and James Corden’s The Late Late Show in the US.
After his death, the University of York students’ union crowdfunded more than £5,000 for the statue.
Wildlife sculptor Neil R Mason was commissioned to create the tribute. The pictures above show his maquette – or scale model – of the Long Boi statue which will be life size, cast out of bronze, then placed on a York stone plinth which is nearly a metre high.
The finished sculpture will be placed near the lake at Derwent College on the University of York campus.
It seems a fitting tribute to a bird who was, if nothing else, statuesque.
A planning application for the statue submitted by the university says: “The statue is to commemorate ‘Longboi’ the tall campus duck that disappeared in 2023 generating media interest. Arranged by the Students Union (YUSU) the statue has been crowdfunded.”
More details are given in a design statement. “A sculpture is being planned to commemorate Long Boi who was, and is, incredibly popular within and outside the York community.
“He will have attracted many visitors to York over many years, specifically to the area where the statue is proposed to be located.
“It’s likely the memorial would continue to attract visitors to York in the same way.
“The location of the statue has been selected as it is by Derwent College and the lake, where Long Boi primarily resided. Students/staff would have spotted and fed him in this location.
“The proposed plinth and statue will add to the other existing sculptures within the Registered Park and Garden to create interest and respect the extensive wildlife that reside on the campus.
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“The life size statue will be in bronze to ensure longevity. It will be stood on a stone plinth with both materials aligned with other artwork on campus such as Moondancer.”
A flood risk assessment is also included with the planning application which concludes the duck statue “will not significantly impact the flood risk, and should the area flood will not be impacted by any flood water”.