Muthuvan Krishnan, enduring face of Kerala's conservation story, dies at 95

Long before Munnar became synonymous with tea, two Muthuvan tribesmen—Kanan and Devan—guided British planters through the hills, lending their names to the Kanan Devan range.

- Nejma Sulaiman @Idukki

Nearly a century later, another Muthuvan by the name Krishnan played a pivotal role in shaping the legacy of the region—by protecting its forests.

Fondly called Krishnan Thatha, he was a trusted guide for forest officials, leading them through dense forests to remote tribal hamlets inside what is now Eravikulam National Park.

On Thursday morning, Krishnan died of age-related illness. He was 95.

Krishnan's deep knowledge of the terrain proved invaluable during the Eravikulam park's establishment in 1978, making him a quiet yet enduring face of Kerala's conservation story.

Back in the 1970s, when poaching and sandalwood smuggling plagued the Eravikulam and Marayur forest ranges, Krishnan became the forest department's most reliable ally.