Creating a brighter future for the elephants
We are passionately committed to creating a kinder world for the elephants and all creatures sharing our planet.
We are a sanctuary home where elephants can thrive and live in peace, as ambassadors for the wild.
If the elephants and the forests survive, so will the planet.
P'Kong
Co-Founder
P’Kong is from Nakhon Si Thammarat and is one of Thailand’s most experienced and respected elephant specialists. He has spent his entire life living and working with elephants, learning from his father and grandfather.
P’Kong has played a pivotal role in bringing Hidden Forest to Phuket and helping to improve the lives of captive elephants in tourism, moving elephant welfare forward from traditional practices.
P’Kong is incredibly knowledgeable and oversees the health, care and welfare of our rescued elephants, who often arrive exhausted, sick and injured. He rehabilitates and carefully socialises our elephants as they transition into forest life, patiently understanding and responding to their individual needs.
He brings life back to worn-out, broken souls through his patience, deep understanding and calm, gentle nature.
Louise Rogerson
Co-Founder
Louise is originally from the UK and has lived in Asia since 1997, when she relocated to Hong Kong to pursue a career in the fashion industry. During this time, she also volunteered with Animals Asia Foundation, advocating for the rescue of bears from bile farms in China and campaigning against the cat and dog meat trade. This early work laid the foundation for her lifelong commitment to animal welfare in Southeast Asia.
Louise has been working with captive elephants for 16 years, although her love for them began at just seven years old when she visited Sri Lanka with her family.
In 2010, Louise visited an elephant sanctuary in Thailand and learned about the abuse suffered by captive elephants in the tourism industry. Horrified by what she discovered, she began researching the industry extensively, visiting riding camps and shows and volunteering at numerous elephant rescue projects to gain a deeper understanding of the reality facing captive elephants.
In 2011, Louise met an elephant named Tong Teh, who profoundly changed the course of her life. He had a broken wrist and was severely malnourished. Tong Teh sadly passed away, and Louise has dedicated her life to protecting elephants ever since.
Louise has successfully spearheaded campaigns including the retirement of the famous elephant Sombo in Cambodia, who had given rides at Wat Phnom temple for more than 20 years. Sombo had severely abscessed feet and, after a seven-month campaign, the authorities finally agreed to her retirement.
Louise then spent two years caring for Sombo alongside her family and veterinary team before successfully relocating her to a sanctuary in Mondulkiri, where she could live a more natural life in the forest.
In 2016, Louise partnered with a local Thai family to establish Phuket’s first non-bathing elephant sanctuary, at a time when riding camps dominated the island. Louise was adamant that the sanctuary should take a non-bathing approach, changing the course of elephant tourism in Phuket by offering visitors an observation-based alternative.
Since then, Louise has created and advised on multiple ethical elephant sanctuaries and has rescued many elephants over the years.
Her mission is to transform elephant tourism into a model founded on compassion, respect and genuine welfare for these magnificent animals — giving visitors to Asia the opportunity to experience elephants in an educational, peaceful and non-exploitative way.
Over the years, Louise has rescued many animals, both great and small. She is vegan and strongly believes in creating a kinder world for all living beings.
You will find Louise amongst the elephants at Hidden Forest, where she loves meeting guests and sharing her passion for these incredible animals.
Russell Withers
Co-Founder
Russell is from the UK and has been working with Asian elephants since 2015 in both Thailand and Cambodia. He brings a diverse background in international marketing, social media, technology, sales, business processes and photography.
In 2016, Russell was a founding member of the team that brought Phuket’s first ethical elephant project to the island, and he is passionate about helping to change the course of elephant tourism.
He believes that, with the right help and guidance, traditional elephant trekking camps can transition to a compassionate, “elephant-first” model while continuing to provide a livelihood for the people who depend on them. Russell truly believes that putting animal welfare first is the way forward for the elephant tourism industry:
No bathing. No riding. No shows.
Just elephants being elephants.
