Ask most visitors what they're hoping to see in Corbett, and the answer is almost always the same: a tiger. It's a fair goal, but treating it as the only goal means missing most of what the reserve actually offers.
Asian elephants are a common sight, often in herds near water. Several deer species share the forest too — spotted deer (chital) in open grassy areas, the larger sambar deer near denser cover, and the small, shy barking deer that's more often heard than seen. Leopards and sloth bears are both present, though considerably harder to spot than the more visible grazing animals.
Corbett is also one of India's best birdwatching destinations, with a huge range of resident and migratory species through the cooler months — worth packing binoculars for, even if birds weren't your original reason for coming.
Along the Ramganga river, keep an eye out for both gharial and mugger crocodiles basking on the banks, a sight many first-time visitors don't expect to see in a tiger reserve.
One underrated skill on safari: listening. Alarm calls from deer and langurs are often the first sign that a predator is nearby, long before you'd spot it yourself — a good guide will slow down and go quiet the moment they hear one.