OZZY Osbourne has been buried near bat boxes – and it feels “like Ozzy had the last laugh”, a family friend said.
The Black Sabbath legend , who died on July 22 at the age of 76, was laid to rest next to the lake in his Buckinghamshire home on Thursday.
A family friend told the Mirror : “This was like a classic Ozzy move. The man loved humour and this sure would have tickled him pink knowing how close friends reacted to this bat situation.
“After all those decades caught up in this drama around bats and animal rights groups, here at his final resting place there are bespoke bat boxes to help encourage the animals thrive in the UK countryside.
“It has prompted quite a few laughs and funny reactions. It is just like Ozzy had the last laugh.”
They added that the bat boxes – installed in trees by the lake a few years ago – have brought moments of laughter to the grieving family.
One of the most controversial moments of the heavy metal singer’s career came in January 1982, when he famously bit the head off a bat on stage.
Something small and black landed near him on stage during a show at Des Moines’ Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
Believing it was a rubber toy, Ozzy picked it up and bit into it.
In his 2010 autobiography I Am Ozzy, he wrote: “Somebody threw a bat. I just thought it was a rubber bat. And I picked it up and put it in my mouth. I bit into it.
“Immediately, though, something felt wrong. Very wrong,” he added.
Ozzy said he deeply regretted the incident as he had to have daily rabies shots for months.
It remains unclear whether the bat was alive or dead – in a 2006 interview with the BBC, Ozzy described it as a “dead real bat”.
Buckinghamshire – home to many brown long-eared and pipistrelle bats – has recently taken steps to improve bat conservation.
On Thursday, an “incredibly emotional” funeral service was held for the rocker, a family friend told The Sun.
Tents were erected on the 250-acre grounds of the house Ozzy and Sharon bought in 1993, along with a stage where tributes were paid to the rocker.
The home was decorated with pictures of Ozzy, and mourners were given a photograph of him to take home.
110 of the singer’s nearest and dearest attended, joining his wife Sharon and his children Jack , 39, Kelly , 40, Aimee , 41, and Louis , 50, his son from his first marriage to Thelma Riley.
Stars at the service included Ozzy’s Black Sabbath bandmates, Metallica’s James Hetfield, punk singer Yungblud and Sir Elton John.
Rock icon Marilyn Manson flew in from the US to attend, alongside Ozzy’s guitarist Zakk Wylde and Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor.
The family friend said: “Everyone at the service just wanted to support Sharon and the kids, it has been an awful time.
“Toasts were raised, memories were shared – it was a very fitting goodbye.
“Ozzy wanted his final place of rest to be at home and he is buried at a beautiful point on the lake.
“As well as the ‘Ozzy f***ing Osbourne’ wreath, which made people smile, there was another floral tribute which spelt out ‘Ozzy’ that was placed by the fountain on the lake.
“There was a stage where people including Yungblud, who grew very close to Ozzy in recent years, were set to pay tribute to him.
“The day was incredibly emotional. Pictures of Ozzy were dotted throughout the house and a photograph of him was given to everyone who attended to take home with them.”
Guests were sent a simple black invitation featuring a cross and the words: “In loving memory of Ozzy Osbourne.”
The road leading to the couple’s Buckinghamshire home near Gerrards Cross was closed from 1pm.
Mourners were transported from The Crowne Plaza and The Bull in Gerrards Cross to the house at 2pm, with the service starting at 3pm.
The day before, thousands of fans gathered in the streets of Birmingham to pay tribute to Ozzy.
