Mathews range has a sweet sixteen hill : No one gave it much thought until a group of international scientists entered the Mathews Range and discovered over 100 species of plants and creatures that had never been identified before, including tiny rats, bats, and butterflies.
Similar to Madagascar, where its isolation led to the evolution of an uncommon assortment of flora and wildlife, the Mathews Range has produced its own distinct population. Stretching over 150 kilometres from north to south, this breathtaking mountain range is sandwiched between the more populated savannah plains of Laikipia and the desolate wastelands of the north.
The Matthews Range in Kenya is home to “the most isolated patches of tropical mountain forest in East Africa,” according to a podcast that the BBC posted on their website titled “Bats, rats, and frogs found in Kenya’s Matthews Range.” The Matthews Range’s valleys are home to natural springs and rivers. Both the native Samburu people and wildlife depend on these water sources.
The range has Sir Lloyd Mathews’ Welsh name. Prior to being knighted and designated First Minister, Sir Lloyd was a member of Her Majesty’s fleet. Later, in 1901, he passed away in Zanzibar from malaria.
Mathews Range is home to a diverse range of animals and plants, such as cycad and juniper forests, rhinoceros, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and other large creatures. Many of the old cycads are, in fact, unique to the Matthews area and cannot be found anywhere else on earth.
Warges Hill, the highest peak in the range at 2,688 M, is located on the southernmost tip of the range. Ol Doinyo Lenkiyo Mountain, which rises 2,375 metres above sea level to hold the title of highest point in the middle range, comes after Warges.
You have undoubtedly heard about Ol Doinyo Lenkiyo, which translates to “the mountain where the child got lost,” while you are here. Over a cup of tea, you may ask the Samburu elders here why the peak was given this name. However, try not to consume as much sugar as they do. You are not quite as active as they are, we wager.
Nestled in the heart of the mountains, the 850,000-acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy is home to several endangered species, such as the African wild dog, Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, de Brazza’s monkey, and colobus monkey.
It’s also possible to see a variety of birds and butterflies in the range. Given that it possesses every hue seen in the Kenyan flag, many who have spotted the Hartlaub’s Turaco believe it would be an excellent choice for the country’s mascot.
Of course, before you plunge into the seasonal Ngeng River’s bitter cold, you should make sure to observe the hill known as “sweet sixteen” due to its resemblance to a young woman’s pointed breasts. Unquestionably worth every cent and second.
