Outrage over elephant hunting has given GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons the dubious distinction of being named "Scummiest CEO of the Year." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals offered up the new moniker after learning that Parsons "has killed at least one elephant and a leopard for his personal enjoyment."
PETA immediately pulled its account from GoDaddy, an Internet domain hosting service, and urged others to do the same.
Parsons posted on Twitter Thursday that he'd be participating in 10 national interviews and appear on the news "to explain why it's a good thing to help starving people." Parsons contends that his elephant hunting in Zimbabwe was done at the request of locals who wanted their crops protected from the elephants. He has also said that the elephant meat fed hungry Zimbabweans.
"They are subsistence farmers. If their crop isn't harvested, they don't eat," Parsons told CNN. He called the elephant meat a bonus for people who "literally have nothing" and are "on the brink of starvation."
A number of anti-Parsons Facebook groups have sprung up in response to the killing. "Give GoDaddy the Boot," "Boycott GoDaddy until CEO Bob 'The Butcher' Parsons resigns," and "Bob Parsons CEO of GoDaddy is an Elephant Killer" are among those groups.
On Parsons' personal blog, viewer comments on his elephant shoot video are mixed, but tend toward disapproval of Parsons' elephant killing.
Gene Taylor, who describes himself as a fan of Parsons and a fan and customer of GoDaddy said, in part, "I have been to Zimbabwe. The elephants are NOT killing the crops and family's that run the farms, Robert Mugabe is... It it not the elephant herds that need culling, it is uninformed trophy hunting tourists who pay huge sums of money just for the thrill of the kill."
Sarcasm fairly dripped from Elizabeth O'Mara's comment: "Wow Bob, you are a hero! Shooting evil elephants to feed starving Africans. Why work with the villages to drill wells for clean water, build school, and develop sustainable farming practices when you can pop a few elephants and have a giant BBQ. Your leadership and clear vision puts you right up there with the captain of the Titanic."
Parsons thanked Greg Vogt for his comment. Vogt said, in part, that "the day the meat value of wildlife exceeds the tourism value of wildlife, wildlife will disappear. Like it or not, legal hunting brings millions of dollars in conservation areas. I do not hunt but understand the role of hunting in conservation."
PETA maintains that there are means to protect crops that don't harm elephants. Barriers constructed of chili-infused string and beehives on poles are effective deterrents, PETA says.
According to PETA, "Instead of coming up with flimsy excuses for killing these highly intelligent and social animals, Parsons should use his wealth to fund humane solutions to human/elephant conflicts."
GoDaddy spokeswoman Elizabeth Driscoll says PETA's boycott has not caused a significant change in business.
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