Herry end: seeds in Laupheim - police investigated!

Herry end: seeds in Laupheim - police investigated!

In April 2025, several dead birds were found in the area around Laupheim in Baden-Württemberg, whose death is due to poisoning. During an examination on the B 30 South near Baustetten, nine dead seed crows, a dead buzzard and a hawk female were discovered. In the following days, further dead seed crows were added, so that a total of 40 seed crows and two birds of prey were found. The animals showed no recognizable external injuries, which hardened the suspicion of poisoning. A toxicological analysis confirmed this suspicion and identified the highly toxic insecticide Parathion as the cause of the deaths.

Philipp Friedel, spokesman for the Biberach district office, emphasized that despite the information, other animals may have died that the carcasses could have been kidnapped. No other dead animals were found until April 16, 2025. The initial examinations showed that the stomachs of the crows were almost empty or only contained remnants of common feed. In the case of the birds of prey examined, however, meat of the dead crows was in the stomach, which indicates a potential food transmission of the poison.

Parathion: A dangerous insecticide

Parathion, also known as folidol, is a highly toxic insecticide and ester of thiophosphoric acid. It was developed in the 1940s and was known for its efficiency in agriculture. Since the early 2000s, the sale and use of parathion in many countries, including the EU and the USA, has been prohibited for humans and animals due to its high toxicity. According to the study parathion is extremely poisonous in certain solutions and can quickly lead to serious health damage.

The symptoms of parathione poisoning are diverse and range from vomiting to muscle twitches to breathing paralysis. This effect arises from the irreversible blocking of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which leads to overstimulation of the nervous system. The toxicological tests also showed that parathions have increased toxicity when inhaling, which increases the danger to humans.

nuisance seeds and legal consequences

The dead bird population in Laupheim has triggered a complex debate in the region. The seeds have been located on a field treble since 2023 and have caused numerous lawsuits by farmers who had drawn attention to the birds due to damage to the birds. The city had taken various measures to grieve the protected way without achieving effective results. The Biberach district office only granted permits to kill the birds in a few exceptional cases.

The police are now investigating the illegal killing of protected species. Section 44 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act provides for such offenses up to three years of imprisonment or fines. Information on the case can be reported to the Biberach police station on 07351/4470.