Ozzy not allowed to renovate barn because it might harm bats

by Ian Chainey

Black Sabbath in NJ in 2013 (more by Greg Cristman)

Black Sabbath singer and knighthood write-in Ozzy Osbourne can’t convert a barn at his Buckinghamshire, England estate until he receives the okay from Chiltern District Council that precautions have been taken to protect affected native wildlife. An animal high on the list? Bats. Ozzy Osbourne has to protect bats.

Indeed, it’s an interesting day for unspeakable giant bugs and believers in cosmic irony. Ozzy Osbourne, the man who infamously, unwittingly chomped down upon a bat in his post-Black Sabbath, early ’80s gonzo years, will be blocked from transforming the barn into a two bedroom house until further studies are carried out proving both mammals can coexist. All species of bats in the United Kingdom fall under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010. (Same bat act, same bat regulation?) As of now, it’s unclear exactly what safety measures would need to be enacted. Hopefully, no one has contacted Manu Ginobili.

In other news, Bill Ward returned five bat cages and an owl brush to a local pet store. (We kid, we kid.)

If all this bat business is new to you, a video explaining the original winged rodent incident, along with a 1982 Ozzy live set, appears below. And after that you might want to google “Ozzy + Alamo.”

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