Since 1888 when Ct. Telekei and Ludwik von Hohnel discovered Lake Turkana, very little has changed. Mt. Nyiru, the Mathews Range and the Ndotos form part of the Pre-Cambian rock (570 million years old) formation known as the Kenya basement system. Most of the mountain average peaks of aound 9000 ft. and as such support an incredible range of flora and fauna with climatic change in altitude.
It is this region which played host to Richard Leakey's explorations which began in 1968 and yielded the most impressive collection of Pleistocene Hominind and animal fossils the world has ever seen.
Over the last century, a variety of pastoral tribes have migrated through the area, evolving into wildly dissimilar groups such as the Turkana, the Samburu and Rendille whose lifestyles are dependent on cattle and goats, while the Gabra and Merille tribes use camels for their livelihood.