A library in Portugal houses thousands of old books, and they have been preserved for centuries by the nocturnal custodians who guard them.
As an article by Atlas Obscura explained, the priceless books of the Joanine Library, Portugal's oldest library, are protected from pests by bats roosting behind the bookshelves. Dubbed "honorary librarians," these pint-sized dark knights swoop into action each evening to gobble the beetles and moths that would have turned those ancient tomes into mush long ago.
The library was constructed over a prison and completed back in 1728. Located on the University of Coimbra's campus, it was built at the behest of King John V to usher in an era of enlightenment and discovery. According to Portugal.com, the library houses over 200,000 volumes over three floors. Bats have been present for about 250 years, and each night, library staff lay leather over the tables to protect them from dropping as the bats get to work.
The article notes that surprisingly little is known about the bats, as staff are generally content to leave them be. Two species have been identified: the European free-tailed bat and the soprano pipistrelle. The former is known to favor moths, while the latter, which only weighs about three to eight grams, can chow down on up to 3,000 insects in a single evening, according to the Woodland Trust.
When the library's doors were replaced in 2015, carpenters left gaps for the bats to come and go. Interestingly, Coimbra isn't the only library in Portugal with bats on staff. The library in the National Palace of Mafra in Lisbon also houses a colony of bats for natural pest control, per the Smithsonian.
The story provides a great example of animals helping humans simply by acting on their natural instincts. In a similar sense, goats are becoming a popular way to control invasive plants and wildfire prevention, just as dogs are helping to keep invasive species out of areas. Even if there's not a colony of helpful bats nearby, there are many other environmentally friendly ways to keep pests at bay.
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