Bronze statue of Long Boi, the famous University of York campus duck, beside Derwent College lake on Campus West.

A bronze statue of Long Boi stands beside the lake near Derwent College at the University of York, commemorating the unusually tall campus duck who became a student mascot, local celebrity and internet favourite. Long Boi was widely described as a mallard and Indian runner duck cross, known for his extraordinary height, long neck, friendly presence and regular appearances around the university’s lakes and green spaces. The sculpture was created after a crowdfunding campaign led by the students’ union, with the University of York saying £5, 300 was raised and that the statue was unveiled by BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James on 26 September 2024. University publicity says the life-sized bronze was hand carved in clay by award-winning wildlife sculptor Neil Mason before being cast in bronze, and that it stands near the lake at Derwent College, one of Long Boi’s favourite haunts. The image is commercially useful for stories about university life, campus culture, student humour, memorial sculpture, public art, crowdfunding, social media fame, animal mascots, British eccentricity and the emotional role of wildlife in shared places. It can also illustrate the University of York’s distinctive lakeside campus, where ducks, geese and other waterfowl form part of the everyday student experience. The statue’s plinth, plaque, bronze finish, lawns, college buildings and live geese in the background give the photograph strong documentary value as a real memorial rather than a generic animal sculpture. Long Boi’s story is useful for features on internet culture, community affection, grief, silliness, public memory and how a much-loved animal can become part of an institution’s identity. As a stock image, it records a quirky but meaningful piece of contemporary campus heritage, showing how humour, affection and student folklore can be given permanent form in bronze.