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.
Kong
Co-Founder
Kong is from Nakon Si Thammarat in Southern Thailand and he is one of the most experienced and respected elephant professionals in Thailand. He has played a pivotal role in introducing Hidden Forest to Phuket to change the lives for captive elephants in tourism.
Kong has spent the last 40 years working with and caring for elephants, learning from his father and grandfather. His knowledge is extensive and he oversees the health, care and welfare of all our beautiful elephants, bringing his lifetime of experience to move forward elephant welfare from traditional practices.
Kong's deep rooted compassion and commitment to heal animals includes the recovery of many sick, injured and old elephants. He literally brings life back into worn out broken souls with this patience and expert understanding of their genuine needs. He is calm, gentle, caring and kind, and a true animal lover.
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 that 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 South East Asia.
Louise has been working with captive elephants for 16 years, although her love for elephants began at just seven years old when she visited Sri Lanka with her family. In 2010, Louise visited an elephant sanctuary in Thailand and learnt about the realities of captive elephants in the tourism industry. Horrified by what she discovered, she continued her travels and went on to research the issue in depth, visiting camps and volunteering with numerous elephant projects to better understand. 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 their protection ever since.
Louise has successfully spearheaded campaigns including the retirement of the well-known elephant named Sombo in Cambodia who had been giving rides at Wat Phnom Temple for over 20 years. Sombo had severely abscessed feet and after a 7 month campaign, the authorities finally agreed to her full retirement. Louise spent 2 years caring for Sombo with her family and vet team before successfully relocating her to a sanctuary in Mondulkiri to live a natural life in the forest.
In 2016, Louise partnered with a local Thai family to establish Phuket’s first ethical, non-bathing elephant sanctuary at a time when only riding camps existed on the island. Louise was adamant that the sanctuary must be a non-bathing approach. This changed the course of elephant tourism in Phuket by offering visitors an observation-based alternative. Since then, Louise has helped create and advise on multiple ethical sanctuaries, and has rescued and rehabilitated many elephants.
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, and she looks forward to welcoming you.
Russell Withers
Co-Founder
Russell is from the UK and has been working with Asian elephants since 2015 in both Thailand and Cambodia. He blends a history of international marketing, social media, technology, sales, business process, and photography.
In 2016, Russell was a founding member of the team bringing the first ethical elephant project to Phuket, 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, whilst still providing a livelihood. 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.
