Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne’s plans to expand his UK estate have been put on hold by local authorities until he can protect the bats which live there.
The BBC reports Osbourne applied to turn a barn on his Buckinghamshire estate into a two-bedroom home, but local council refused after "considerable evidence" of bats and owls were found there, declaring that measures had to be put in place to protect the animals before an expansion would be approved.
All species of bat and their roosts are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010.
Ozzy famously bit the head off a live bat during a January 20, 1982 concert in Des Moines, Iowa. The animal was thrown onstage after being brought to the show by a fan; the bat reportedly bit Osbourne after he picked it up while thinking it was made of rubber, resulting in a series of rabies shots for the rocker.
Osbourne and Black Sabbath recently wrapped up their North American spring tour dates in support of their latest album, “13”, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and will return to the road for shows starting May 29 in Abu Dhabi.
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