You’ve heard of the koi at Delta. You’ve literally heard the geese at Delta. But have you heard about the cats or shrimp at Delta? Many other animals can be found on Delta’s campus beyond just the typical fish, bird and of course, human.
Of Delta’s ecosystem, these are among the most peculiar animals that have graced Delta property.
Squirrels
 | Squirrels can be found across most green areas of Delta’s campus among Delta’s more than 3,000 trees and shrubs. They are a naturally-occurring squirrel population that have survived on their own without any intervention or interference from Delta faculty. |
Cats
 | Cats can be found at Delta’s campus, typically around the parking lot of the Budd building, where they frequent most. According to mathematics professor and caretaker for the cats, Dr. Jacek Kostyrko, they are feral cats that are fed and cared for by a group of volunteers at Delta. Volunteered cat committees have operated at Delta before; according to a Collegian article from 2013, a cat committee was founded several years prior to the article’s publication, disbanding before being revived during a rodent population issue for Delta’s campus. The volunteers also publish annual Delta Cats calendars that can be purchased at the Cashier’s Office; the 2025 issue is currently sold out. |
Goats
 | On occasion, the Manteca Farm will send in a herd of goats to Delta’s campus to graze along Burke Bradley Drive or the Information Technology and Data Center. These goats are invited by Mustang Acres to help maintain their farmland, as the goats graze upon cover crops to be broken down by other organisms to bring nutrients to the soil. These goats can also graze upon harmful weeds, break up soil with their hooves and leave behind fertilizing manure among other agricultural benefits. |
Shrimp
| What? What are shrimp doing at Delta? Actually, the better question is what was Delta doing at a vernal pool of shrimp, and the answer was to abandon ship. In 2006, the Delta College Board of Trustees purchased a rural plot of land along Liberty Road in Galt, with the hope of building a campus there. However, the project was not feasible and had to be put on hold due to various reasons, one of which being that federally protected vernal pool fairy shrimp were found inhabiting the property. Delta essentially owned pools that fill with shrimp every winter and spring, from the property’s purchase in 2006 to Delta’s sale of the property to the San Joaquin Council of Governments around 2023. |
