World · Europe · 6 hrs ago
25 horses die after eating poisonous sycamore seeds in Jura
At least 25 horses have died in the Jura and Bernese Jura in recent days after apparently eating poisonous sycamore seeds.
In Cortébert, 13 horses and foals died and 23 more are in intensive care after 36 animals ate seeds on a pasture.
Strong winds carried the seeds onto the pasture, according to the horses’ owners.
Sycamore seeds contain a toxin that can cause atypical myopathy, a severe muscle disease that may also affect the heart and breathing muscles.
The disease can be fatal, and it is not contagious.
The 23 horses are still being treated, but it is not yet clear how many will survive.
Twenty-five horses have died in the Jura region after apparently eating poisonous seeds from sycamore maple trees.
At a pasture in Cortébert, 13 of 36 horses died and 23 remained in intensive care at veterinary clinics.
The horses developed atypical pasture myopathy, a potentially fatal muscle disease linked to toxins in the seeds.
The wind carried the seeds onto the pasture, according to the horse owner.
The family faces veterinary costs of tens of thousands of Swiss francs, and a fundraising campaign has been started.
- Who
- Horses in the canton of Jura and the Bernese Jura were affected. At Cortébert, the horses belonged to the Geiser family.
- What
- Twenty-five horses died after apparently eating poisonous sycamore maple seeds; 23 more from the Cortébert herd were in intensive care.
- When
- In the days before the reports published on November 5, 2026. The incident in Cortébert happened on a Saturday.
- Where
- The canton of Jura and the Bernese Jura, including a pasture in Cortébert, Switzerland.
- Why
- The horses apparently ate sycamore maple seeds containing a toxin linked to atypical pasture myopathy. Wind carried seeds onto the Cortébert pasture.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Thirty-six horses ate poisonous sycamore maple seeds on a pasture in Cortébert.
The family recognized symptoms of atypical pasture myopathy, called a veterinarian and moved the horses to three regional veterinary clinics.
Thirteen horses and foals from Cortébert had died, while 23 others remained in intensive care.
- Deaths across the Jura region
- 25 horses
- Cortébert herd
- 36 horses exposed
- Deaths in Cortébert
- 13 horses and foals
- Still in intensive care
- 23 horses and foals
- Disease
- Atypical pasture myopathy
- Estimated veterinary costs
- Several tens of thousands of Swiss francs
3 sources
What people are saying
13 horses have already died, 23 more are still in intensive care in various clinics. It is still uncertain whether they will survive.
About three quarters of atypical pasture myopathy cases occur in autumn.
With a high toxin concentration, just 30 seeds can be enough to cause poisoning symptoms in a 500-kilogram horse.