Matthews Range

Matthews Range
Lenkiyio Hills
Location
Highest point
Peak
Elevation	2,688 m (8,819 ft)
Dimensions
Length	150 km (93 mi) N/S
Width	40 km (25 mi) E/W
Geography
Country	Kenya
Range coordinates	1°15′N 37°15′E / 1.250°N 37.250°E / 1.250; 37.250Coordinates: 1°15′N 37°15′E / 1.250°N 37.250°E / 1.250; 37.250

The Matthews (or Mathews) Range, also known as the Lenkiyio Hills, is a range of mountains in Kenya, Africa.

History[]

Originally gazetted in 1956, the Matthews Range was designated in 1964 as a forest reserve status.

In 1995, a Trust was formed by the Samburu tribes to preserve , which remains one of the most successful community conservation programs in Kenya.

Geography[]

The range is about 150 km long, oriented north–south. It is located in the Laikipia district of the Rift Valley Province in northern Kenya. The town of Wamba lies at the southeastern edge of the range.^[1]

Peaks[]

The highest point is , at 2,688 metres (8,819 ft) above sea level, a peak located the southern end of the range, separated by a valley from the rest of the range.^[2] The 1,809 metres (5,935 ft) high , 1,890 metres (6,200 ft) high Mathews Peak, 1,491 metres (4,892 ft) high , 1,184 metres (3,885 ft) high , 1,472 metres (4,829 ft) high , 1,861 metres (6,106 ft) high and 1,289 metres (4,229 ft) m high are located in the middle of the range.^[1]

Ecology[]

The area is isolated, and holds forests of juniper and cycads. It is home to elephants and other large mammals, and was one of the last places in northern Kenya to have wild Black Rhinos. The last Black Rhino in the Mathew's was poached out in the 1990s. The Mathew's are also home to the Samburu people. The mountain range is a sky island: surrounded by plains, with Ndoto Mountains to the north and the Karisia hills to the west. A number of the species in the Mathew's have evolved independently and the diversity of the forest is of great conservation value.^[3] Part has been designated as a wildlife sanctuary.

References[]

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