Traffic ZOO ETM

During European Mobility Week at ZOO Ljubljana we mainly address the youngest road users. At the same time we remind everyone about looking after animal city dwellers: pets on walks, animals we transport in the car and wild animals. 

Traffic ZOO is part of the City of Ljubljana campaign "poZOOr!", whose main slogan is "Be like the animals, pay attention".

The "look left-right-left" rule is one that preschool children and first-graders can learn quickly in theory, but in practice crossing the road is a real challenge. To master this skill, you need to know at the right moment which hand is left and which right, to focus and pay attention to what’s happening on the road, and finally to have a wide enough field of vision. From a young age parents, nursery teachers, schoolteachers and others use example and repetition to teach the youngest about road rules and appropriate behaviour.

As part of the "poZoor!" campaign, at ZOO Ljubljana we created the Traffic ZOO programme with animal mentors, which brings important knowledge about safe behaviour in traffic to the youngest road users in a way they find appealing. Together with the music band Čuki we developed a song that is simple and catchy. A special themed show was also produced, "Ribič Pepe and Traffic ZOO", which highlights the basic road rules children need to learn by Year 3: crossing the road safely, protecting themselves during play, and — with the help of animal mentors — warming to safe behaviour in traffic more quickly.

Last year, nearly 10,000 visitors attended events at ZOO Ljubljana during European Mobility Week.

At ZOO Ljubljana we combine traffic and biology content in the unique Traffic ZOO programme. Through animal mentors we address four main and one indirect topic, which are also part of the nursery curriculum and the primary school curriculum for the first and second triads.

The shared campaign slogan is "Pay attention, be like the animals!", and each animal mentor also offers advice in its own area:
- Do not jump across the road: The zebra is the animal ambassador that teaches us to walk safely beside the road and to cross it correctly. 
- Jump safely: Through armoured animals and protective gear we encourage the use of safety equipment both on the road and in sport.
- Jump out of invisibility: Big cats and fireflies bring the importance of visibility on the road home to children through shining, flashing and reflecting. We also call reflectors "cat’s eyes" or "fireflies".
- Hop on the bus: The elephant Ganga, as a large animal with a small footprint, helps raise awareness of the importance of sustainable mobility.
- Animals also cross roads: They remind us of the importance of keeping pets safe on walks with reflectors, and of safe travel in the car. They also raise awareness of animals endangered by traffic in various ways at home and abroad: insects, frogs, game, birds — and teach us how we can help them.

Animals have inspired the transfer of many of nature’s inventions into transport. 

The Ljubljana Road Safety Council, ZOO Ljubljana and LPP are organising an extended Mobility Week at ZOO Ljubljana, including both weekends, since the content is aimed both at zoo visitors and at nurseries and primary schools as part of formal education.

At ZOO Ljubljana in the week from 13 to 21 September 2025 there will be a circular learning trail with animal mentors, biological, traffic-themed and creative adventures at seven stations and a closing event.
During ETM 2025, participants are entitled to free transport from school to ZOO Ljubljana through the City of Ljubljana accreditation, as well as free entry for organised groups during the week (in the morning) for first-triad primary schools and Ljubljana nurseries, subject to advance booking at narocila@zoo.si.   

 
On Sunday, 21 September 2025, ZOO Ljubljana will host the closing event of City of Ljubljana ETM 2025, where we will broadcast the traffic-themed children’s show Ribič Pepe and Traffic ZOO, and jump safely with Dunking Devils. We will also be joined by the RS Road Safety Agency, Opel Slovenia, Ljubljana Public Transport, the Ljubljana Road Safety Council, the Safe Path Institute, police officers from the Vič Police Station and WOOP! 

You are warmly invited!

With the 2022/2023 school year, the new road-safety awareness campaign of the City of Ljubljana 'poZOOr!' was launched, with the main slogan 'Be like the animals, pay attention', in which the Ljubljana Road Safety Council, LPP and ZOO Ljubljana took part. A new collection of posters, banners and creatives for city buses was produced, as well as awareness content and programmes aimed primarily at children.