Traffic ‘zebras’ rise to stardom

LA PAZ, Bolivia — Volunteer wardens in zebra costume have been catapulted to global internet stardom thanks to a US talk show.

For years, the zebras, who get their name from the striped black-andwhite pedestrian crosswalks that they protect from oncoming traffic, have toiled in relative obscurity, except for winning China’s Urban Innovation award in 2016.

Still, the furry mascots were little known outside Bolivia’s capital La Paz, where they help pedestrians, especially kids and the elderly, safely make it to the other side of the street by waving down drivers and prancing around.

It was not until talk show host John Oliver featured the zebras on his program Last Week Tonight in midMarch that videos of the zebras in action went viral.

Oliver quipped that any difficult situation — such as attempting to cross the street in a major Latin American capital or watching Donald Trump be sworn in as the US president — could be instantly improved by adding one of La Paz’s zebras. Soon the hashtag #JustAddZebras was trending on Twitter.

They make everything better... and sometimes they even get you to smile.” Sergio Caballero, La Paz Secretary of Education and Civic Culture

To thank him for the compliment, La Paz has invited Oliver to the city to learn more about its Urban Educators program, which uses the zebras to teach more than just traffic civility.

“We made a video, called ‘Wonder City’, thanking him for having promoted the Urban Educators program and inviting him to La Paz, so he can be zebra for a day and experience firsthand how to make a better city and be a better person, which is our program’s goal,” said La Paz Secretary of Education and Civic Culture Sergio Caballero.

The zebras were first introduced to the streets of La Paz in Nov 2001. The program not only helps pedestrians, but also the volunteers, who are often unemployed young people from troubled backgrounds.

“They make everything better, the hectic life of La Paz stops being indifferent and sometimes they even get you to smile,” said Caballero.