A purpose-built carbon-fibre pole and padded halo, made for the approved koala canopy retrieval method, welfare-led, and built to be held steady in the field.
One tool, built properly, for a method that was only ever improvised, so the gear finally matches the work.
The halo method is approved, but until SAFE, nobody made a tool designed for it. The Halo Pole is that tool, purpose-built, and made for the job.
Least-invasive by design. The halo works at a distance, encouraging the koala to come down on its own, a calm, low-stress approach.
Made for anyone who needs proper, purpose-built kit they can rely on, not something rigged up at home.
The Halo Pole pairs a light carbon-fibre reach pole with SAFE’s padded halo, the working end that gives a koala a gentle cue to come down on its own.
A light, telescopic carbon-fibre pole that runs from mid-height to full canopy, light enough to raise and hold free-standing, and available in a range of working heights.
A padded hoop on the tip, the part rescuers tell us they want most. Raised near the koala, it gives a clear “above” cue that encourages the animal to move down.
Flip-lock sections that raise fast, hold steady at height, and pack down for the next call-out. Made to be worked hard in the bush, not babied.
A larger top section and fewer joints take the sway out of full-extension rescues, same reach, far more control.
Read →The thin top sections do most of the wandering. Match your height to the koala and leave them stowed.
Read →Meeting our golden-ticket winner Kelly Roche and her “Holding the Line” project, plus a pole donated to Koala Conservation Australia.
Read →The halo method is an approved technique under Queensland’s Code of Practice: a padded halo is raised near a koala as a gentle “above” cue, giving it a reason to move down rather than being forced. Our halos are designed for non-contact use, we lean toward the least-invasive approach we can, and keeping tools off the animal tends to be kinder for biosecurity between rescues too. SAFE builds the equipment that makes that easier to do well in the field.
Reach for the lightest-touch approach that can work. The halo is held at a distance, around a 30 to 60 cm standoff, so the koala has space to read the cue and move without pressure.
Watch for stress. If a koala shows it’s distressed, the Code asks you to pause, at least ten minutes, before trying again. A calm animal comes down more safely than a pressured one.
Biosecurity matters. Gear that’s easy to keep clean, and cleanable or replaceable between animals, helps keep one rescue from carrying over to the next.
Every SAFE tool started as a real problem in the field. If you’ve got a rescue scenario we don’t cover yet, a modification in mind, or a tool that simply doesn’t exist, tell us. We design purpose-built equipment for the way your team actually works.
Carer, rescuer, ranger, keeper, researcher or council, we’ll help you get the right equipment, from a single pole to a fleet order.