At first glance, it may seem like a story about a hedgehog, but it is a story that tells us that people living in Slovenia are for cooperation, that we belong to a world where a beautiful gesture reflects respect for nature and animals, and that we are a society where mutual help prevails.
The time is 7am and it is a normal working day. Those who live in Ljubljana or drive past it in the early hours of the morning will know that the traffic in the centre of Ljubljana is quite heavy between 7am and 8am, and that everyone is in a hurry.
I'm driving towards BTC and there's a hedgehog at the pedestrian crossing. A live hedgehog. A confused poor thing in the middle of the traffic chaos. He seemed to have gone numb from all the noise and too much going on around him. But he was brave, wasn't he? In the middle of the centre, he chose to cross the road at a pedestrian crossing, nicely following the rules. It seemed to me that, despite his courage, he was not going to survive that.
I put on all four indicators, got out of the car and helped him across the crossing. I just helped him to speed up and move out of the way, and steered him off the road and onto the green. He went his way and I was very pleasantly surprised by the reaction of the people.
The fact is that it was Monday morning and the time was seven o'clock. I should not forget to say that a long queue of vehicles immediately formed behind me. But nobody was honking, nobody was nervous. Nobody let it be known that he was in a hurry. Everyone was just calmly watching this hedgehog rescue mission and waiting for him to move to a safe area. Isn't that nice?
One gentleman even shouted from the car: 'Great, bravo and thank you,' another gave a thumbs up. I thought that was very nice, because we had saved a hedgehog and he had brightened up our morning; just by the way, with his cuteness and while we watched him stepping out to safety. We were all delighted that he had made it and that we had saved him in a spirit of togetherness.
Interestingly, I saw a two-euro coin in the crosswalk and picked it up off the ground. Isn't it great how life immediately sent me something to thank me? It is important to me that we care; for the human being, for the living being. To help and support each other in good deeds, if possible. To stand together, to work together and to breathe for one idea.
It is the small acts that bring joy to our souls and build the fundamental values of Slovenia.
Tamara Andrašič, 4 Sep 2025
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