Rocker Ozzy Osbourne no longer just has bats in his belfry – he’s about to get them in his garden as well.
Heavy metal’s Prince of Darkness shocked fans 40 years ago when he bit off the head of a bat thrown on stage.
But now the Black Sabbath legend is getting his teeth into protecting the creatures by installing bat boxes at his UK mansion.
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In 1982 he left a gig in Des Moines, Iowa, with a bat taste in his mouth and a supply of rabies vaccine.
He thought the bat brought to the concert by a couple of kids was made of rubber. Ozzy said: “I picked it up, put it in my mouth, crunched down, bit into it, being the clown that I am.”
The one-time bat man now has only good intentions for the little animals as his home in Chalfont St Peter, Bucks, is spruced up for his return from the US.
Ozzy, 73, has promised planning chiefs he will put in the bat protection measures to aid conservation at his multi-million pound Grade II listed home, which he will share with wife and former X Factor judge Sharon.
Birmingham-born Ozzy is moving back for good after surgery following a bad fall three years ago.
This week he thrilled fans by unveiling a new solo track, Patient No 9, with a promo video featuring fluttering bats. It will appear on Ozzy’s 13th LP.
