GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons under fire for Zimbabwe elephant-hunting video

GoDaddy.com Chief Executive Bob Parsons has been drawing angry comments and threats of boycotts and cancellations after he posted a video of him killing a problem bull elephant during a hunting expedition in Zimbabwe.

The video (viewer discretion advised due to graphic content) shows the CEO and his hunting party looking over a farmer's damaged crops, shooting at elephants at night, and Parsons posing with the dead bull. It also shows crowds of villagers field dressing the carcass the next morning.

"I kind of figured that this might happen. So be it, I'm not ashamed of what I did," Parsons, whose Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company provides domain and Web hosting services, told myFoxPhoenix Tuesday. "All these people that are complaining that this shouldn't happen, that these people who are starving to death otherwise shouldn't eat these elephants, you probably see them driving through at McDonald's or cutting a steak. These people [Zimbabwe villagers] don't have that option."

While a preponderance of the comments posted on Parsons' website blog were negative, he has his proponents.

"As long as it goes to good use as food then it's all good," posted Chad from Texas; "I'm sure local villagers appreciated the protein," wrote Alan Dean Foster of Arizona; and, from Jonathan Mackenzie of Zimbabwe, "As a Zimbabwean who has worked in ... areas where the necessity to kill [rogue] animals takes place I appreciate your actions regardless of your motivations."

Parsons posts an explanation on his hunts -- this was his second -- to take out problem elephants:

I spend a few weeks in Zimbabwe each year helping the farmers deal with problem elephants. The people there have very little, many die each year from starvation and one of the problems they have is the elephants, of which there are thousands and thousands, that trash many of their fields destroying the crops. The tribal authorities request that I and others like me, patrol the fields before and during the harvest -- we can't cover them all, there are just a few of us -- and drive the elephant from the fields. The farmers try to run the elephants away by cracking whips, beating drums and lighting fires. All of this is ignored by the elephants. When my team catch elephants in a field (there are never just one) we typically kill one of them and the rest leave for good. After we kill an elephant the people butcher the elephant and it feeds a number of villages. These people have literally nothing and when an elephant is killed it's a big event for them, they are going to be able to eat some protein. This is no different than you or I eating beef. If at all possible we avoid elephant cows and only kill mature bulls. By just killing bulls it has no effect on the elephant social structure (as it is matriarchal) as well as the herd size. The reason is another bull quickly steps up and breeds in place of the bull taken.

Parsons said that the hunts and helping the starving villagers is the most rewarding of everything he does, and that he hopes to go again next year.

-- Kelly Burgess
twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: GoDaddy CEO and founder Bob Parsons, right, and his wife Renee pose on the red carpet at a recent event. Credit: Roy Dabner / European Pressphoto Agency

 

Comments

[Dan]

Saddest thing about this article is that it actually quotes people posting online. Who gives a damn. We aren't experts on the issues at hand, if there are any and it appears there may be some. We're turning into an incredibly judgmental society where any idiot's opinion (including this idiot's) could be considered news. Sad situation.

[Robert]

I transferred 11 Domains from these bastards today - I will never deal with Godaddy again - ever.

[Winch]

Maybe it is because I grew up on a farm, I've hunted, and I've fished, but this video didn't bother me. Mr. Parsons only took a single bull (which was butchered and not let go to waste) and protected the crops. Just like with alligators down here in Georgia (which were at one time endangered), when an animal becomes a danger and/or nuisance, sometimes you have to remove it.

[Katie Cleary]

Bob Parsons is Sadistic egomaniac! Why doesn't he use his 140 million to do something to benefit them in the long run like buy the people of Zimbabwe more seed, a clean water system, school funding, and shelter! Instead of killing one of the most endangered intelligent creatures on this planet for sport! He paid the people to kill the Elephant....Killing animals is not a sport! Elephants have been doing this for centuries...walking on crops...it's their land as much as it is ours and we have no right to take it from them and play god with an already endangered species! I hope Mr. Parsons gets his! KARMA's A BITCH!!!

[InquiringMind]

Who's the blond?

[Steven Moshlak]

Bwana Bob screwed-up. He should have invited me and Ted Nugent to come along on safari with him.

For the PETA crowd- Rogue elephants have a bad habit of destroying crops and trampling people.

[Hunter]

I hope all of the outraged city dwellers who are "taking their business elsewhere" are also planning to move their homes, families, and jobs OUT of the city, in particular Los Angeles.
Every square mile of Los Angeles County was filled with abundant wildlife prior to YOUR home being built there.
NOT way back in the La Brea Tar Pit period, but just a hundred years ago.
Every minute of every day that you exist there, you perpetuate one of the great environmental disasters and wildlife kill-offs of all time.
I am especially hoping that some cloning using DNA from California Golden Grizzlies [on the state flag!] and a surrogate Kodiak Bear will allow the re-introduction of these carnivorous beasts to Griffith Park, after all, it's THEIR rightful habitat.

[brand_kb]

Well, I hope he had a great hunting trip. Sounds like he's justifying his sport by saying he helped feed people. And on that note, I'll be taking my business elsewhere. I never liked working through them anyway.

[NintendoLegend]

... so what's the issue here? We are really spending time in an uproar because some rich guy shoots an elephant once a year? Really, folks? This is what we worry about in our world?

[Jeff Hotchkiss]

I was ready to jump all over the rich white guy who goes to Africa to satisfy his bloodlust, but it is obvious from that large quote at the bottom that he is educated on the subject and he is genuinely helping those people with their problem of ruined crops and food. So even though I am not one who would kill even a spider, I have no problem with his actions. And I'm glad that his PR department didn't try to put some ridiculous spin on this story and that he didn't apologize to save face.

[David]

Please take a look at the video of Bob Parsons killing a Leopard. Read the different excuses in this video.

http://www.video.me/ViewVideo.aspx?vid=501&catid=7

Ask Bob what great service he is doing here.

[Sherry]

FatCat Servers is offering a NoDaddy coupon for domain transfers. A lot of people are upset with GoDaddy’s CEO for the elephant killing & are leaving the company. We want to try and pick them up and for each transfer we are going to donate $4.95 to Save the Elephants.
If anyone would like to try us out and take advantage of our campaign, check out www.fatcatservers.com/nodaddy Use coupon code: NODADDY

[bakang]

We can all go on and on, but to end all this everyone note that Zimbabwe is currently working to balance its elephant population and that which the land can accommodate. So someone coming and PAYING to kill an elephant which would have had to be killed anyway is a bonus. as for the meat it goes to the nearby people.

[Yvohan Lawrie]

Has anyone asked the question as to WHY Zimbabweans are starving? Gee I dunno maybe it's got something to do with their dictator president!

As if he killed this bull elephant out of the goodness of his heart, it was unneccesary. It was just a rich man and a rifle....

[Dave]

Why doesnt Bob the CEO spend money helping protect crops, or relocating elephants instead of killing them? He says they have to be killed, but he is a multi millionaire - why not support villages by making sure they keep the crops with other methods? Maybe get them some fresh water too and help build their villages instead of coming in and killing elehpants and leaving. Your not hunting for them, its for yourself dont try and kid anyone.

[Pat]

I think it is great that he was able to help people in need and get to vast in the great sport of hunting. You people are crazy..... Animals that are causing great damage to a town/village need to be destroyed

[Tomas Trnka]

Bob Parsons = absolute loser

Please join my efforts at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=630103543#!/home.php?sk=group_212530288757876&ap=1

and together lets boycott GoDaddy.com.

I appeal to every domain owner to transfer their business from GoDaddy.com

Let's show that actions of one man can and will bring the harsh consequences.

R.I.P. to innocent elephant

Thank you

Tomas

Read more: http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/03/30/shooting-an-elephant%e2%80%94why-godaddys-ceo-was-wrong/#ixzz1I8fcxnN8

[Alex]

To add insult to injury, this worthless excuse for a human being claims (on his blog) to know more about elephants and their behavior than people who devote their lives to studying and protecting these amazing animals. He ridicules the suggestion that non-lethal action can prevent crop raiding when, in fact, there are several effective approaches. Then he portrays himself as a hero for providing the locals with the meat of the elephant he murdered. If the money this murderer spent travelling to Africa (surely on his own plane or, the very least, a chartered flight) had been spent directly on the locals (for fences, food, etc.) he could have achieved a great deal more good without harming one of the most intelligent and amazing animals on earth. Anyone with even the slightest common sense can tell that this was nothing more than an opportunity for Bob to get his kicks by killing this amazing creature. I sincerely hope that someone puts together a list of "problem CEO's" that need to be shot and that this loser is at the top of that list. The world would be a much better place without this sick excuse for a human being.

[Hunter]

Again the pampered city dwellers of Los Angeles and the other massive environmental disasters known as cities criticize things they have no way of understanding.
Perhaps it's true, those doggone hungry Africans should just go to Gelson's and buy some organic bean curd with hazelnuts, and perhaps a nice Chianti.
Of course, when LA residents buy their meat, they have conveniently had a "hit man" kill it for them, cover it with plastic, and give it names that obscure its source.

[John Doe]

You sir are a waste of DNA....the good news is that you will one day pass on and, at that time, you will be judged for the nefarious acts of stupidity that you have committed during your lifetime.....and when you die (to quote the rock group Kansas) "and all your money won't another minute buy" dust in the wind you worthless excuse for a human being

[Jaime]

Thank GOD for the wealthy, white CEO! Who else would slay the big, bad elephant.

Seriously though, as a social welfare worker, I understand the need to help poor communities. I would like to see him donate funds directly to the community rather than hunt beautiful animals.

[Tom P]

There is something wrong with this man that he desires to do this and seeks this out. And there is something wrong with the system which allows a rich US business man to hunt down and kill such grand animals. He should be contributing his money to build a sanctuary and allow these "rogue" elephants to live out their lives in peace. And he can still donate food and items for the villagers. He has that much money, trust me.
This is just wrong.

[Wayniac917]

Not only is the meat of the elephant given to different tribes to feed their families, elephants destroy farms which the tribes use to feed their families as well. The only reason this is become such a big deal is the fact he posed for a picture making it look like he was on a hunting safari, ( which he was) but was totally legal. I suggest all of you who have a problem with this research the destruction elephants do to the tribes of Africa and What happens after one of these problem elephants are killed and see if alters your perception of this slightly.

[lane queefin]

That fat scumbag should get trampled by the furious outrage of the american consumer.

[Chris]

@Ken, really? Please see #Overpopulation# and #FactoryFarming#.