Good question! – I am unknowing but I think we would have a great many insects to deal with. Mosquitoes among them!

This comment helped me to think to find out – thank you – and indeed: https://www.batswithoutborders.org/role-of-bats-in-our-ecosy...

I see it such that we must learn from bats. And nature. And learn to collaborate better among ourselves.

Another interesting question is, what if we could wipe out all viruses? What would go wrong? I suspect that we know relatively little about the systemic role of viruses in the biosphere. It's imaginable that they play a pervasive role in the gradual transformation of the world's genetic code.

If the hygiene hypothesis is correct, we’d have a lot more allergies.

In Western countries, certain species of animals are regularly culled because of infections they spread to livestock.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/07/badger-c...

> I hope this doesn't come across as inhumane, but hypothetically what would be the bio-diversity/eco-system impact of simply exterminating or at least curbing these huge bat colonies.

If you rationalize it like this, then why is it bad to slightly reduce human population?

I suppose what is good and what is bad is very much relative to your viewpoint. From a human vantage point we have a vested interest and a genetic imperative of reproduction and self-preservation.

I would guess-estimate that, if given the choice and the cognition, bats would likely also choose to self-preservate to the detriment of Humans.

> genetic imperative of reproduction and self-preservation.

As we can see with 7+ billions people on earth (or lemmings) too much reproduction threatens self-preservation, hence my previous comment.

If we take out any emotion and go by pure logic, a virus culling the herd doesn't seem to be a bad thing.

Now I'm like anyone else, I'd rather not be culled but I understand that if we don't find solutions, nature will.

Depends on the method. We’re already hard at work stopping population growth by getting people out of poverty. Very probable that it’ll turn into population decline in a few decades.

Does that take into account the COVID-19 baby boom?