Don't Feed Parrots Chocolate, Despite What Happens In Minecraft

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Don't Feed Parrots Chocolate, Despite What Happens In Minecraft In the game Minecraft, a chocolate chip cookie will tame a parrot, but they're poisonous to the birds in real life. Minecraft has promised to update the game.

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Don't Feed Parrots Chocolate, Despite What Happens In Minecraft May 20, 20178:02 AM ET Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday

Scott Simon

Don't Feed Parrots Chocolate, Despite What Happens In Minecraft

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In the game Minecraft, a chocolate chip cookie will tame a parrot, but they're poisonous to the birds in real life. Minecraft has promised to update the game.

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Polly want a cracker? How about a chocolate chip cookie? Players in the "Minecraft" video game can befriend a parrot with a chocolate chip cookie, but in real life, don't. Even small amounts of chocolate can poison a parrot. A campaign of concern broke out on Reddit that millions of children who play the game would try to tempt the family's blue-eyed cockatoo with chocolate chip cookies. Jens Bergensten, "Minecraft's" lead designer, says the cookies were intended to be a sly reference to the Nirvana song "Polly," but the game's next update will offer treats that are more friendly to parrots. Real parrots have a diet of seeds, nuts, berries, insects and larvae. I got to see "Minecraft" larvae.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "POLLY")

NIRVANA: (Singing) Polly wants a cracker. I think I should get off her first. I think she wants some water to put out the blow torch. It isn't me. Have a seed.

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