There are many beautiful libraries in this world, but the Joannina Library in Coyimbra, Portugal,

might be the most stunning of them all. Featuring three

stories of ornately painted ceilings, gilded archways and bookcases made from exotic wood,

this Baroque Marvel has been in operation since the mid-18th century.

Then, of course, there are the books themselves, 200,000 of them, in fact, some even older than the

library itself, all of which needed to be carefully preserved and maintained.

But the task?

Well, it's easier said than done.

Paper, leather, and paste aren't the hardiest of materials, after all.

There is temperature and humidity to worry about, not to mention

meddling hands and the simple degradation that comes with time, but the greatest threat to the

Joannina's priceless volumes? Well, that would be the bugs, eager to turn this rare archive into a

tasty midnight snack. Yes, the Joannina was going to need top-rated exterminators,

and luckily for nearly 300 years, they've known exactly who to call. Two partners,

known as the European Freetail and the Soprano Pipestrels, and they just so happen to be two

species of bats. That's right, every night when the scholars filter out

and towering stacks settle into darkness, hundreds upon hundreds of bats, take over the library's

hollow halls and swoop madly through the air, gobbling up every insect that might dare to threaten

a book. It's the perfect example of a symbiotic

relationship. In exchange for protecting the books, the bats get an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not a bad

deal, right? It's one of those surprising yet not uncommon examples of humans and animals

coexisting as we have throughout history.

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