is home to a variety of migratory birds, water birds, predators, scavengers and game birds. Forty-seven species from the bird families Anatidae, Accipitridae, Addenda, and Ardeidae are found in the park So far, 222 bird species have been recorded, some of which are: spot-billed pelican (Pelicanus philippensis), great white pelican, black-necked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), greater adjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius), lesser adjutant stork (Leptoptilos javanicus), ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea), gadwall (Anas strepera), brahminy duck, mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), pintail (Anas acuta), hornbills, Pallas's fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus), king fisher and woodpecker, in addition to forest and grassland birds. Migratory birds from as far as America such as the milky American white pelicans have also been reported in the park. The Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis) is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is one of the flagship species of the park. A population of 30−40 individuals was recorded in the park by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in 1990; this was the second highest concentration of the species, globally. Orang has in excess of one per cent of the world's total population of the bird. Reptiles Seven species of turtle and tortoise are found, of which the turtle species Lissemys punctata and Kachuga tecta are common. Among snakes, pythons and cobra species, including the king cobra, are recorded here, as are the Indian rock python, and Bungarus niger, the greater black krait. Monitor lizards are present. Flora The park is rich in vegetation of forests, natural forest, grasses, and aquatic and non-aquatic plants. The forest species found are: Bombax ceiba, Dalbergia sissoo, Sterculia villosa, Trewia nudiflora, Zizyphus jujuba and Litsea monopetala (syn. L. polyantha). Among the non-aquatic grassland species, the prominent are: Phragmites karka, Arundo donax, Imperata cylindrica and Saccharum spp. The aquatic grass and plants species found are: Andropogon spp., Ipomoea aquatica (syn. Ipomoea reptans), Enhydra fluctuans, Nymphaea spp., and Water hyacinth (Eichhornia spp.). Threats and conservation From 1991, there was a serious threat to the survival of the park and its wild animals due to intense anthropogenic pressure— and encroachment from agriculture and forest resource harvesting by local populations dependent for their livelihoods on such practices —and by insurgency. The threats were identified as due to poaching, inadequate manpower for patrolling and security, wide river channels, inadequate infrastructure facilities and hardly any community awareness and participation in conservation. Poaching for wild animals became very serious, particularly