GoDaddy might be the number-one Internet domain name
company, but maybe not for long. CEO, Bob Parsons recently vacationed in
Zimbabwe and while there, he embarked on an elephant hunt and posted a video of
the ordeal when he got back home. Many people, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
are calling for bloggers and businesses to shut down their GoDaddy domain
service accounts.
The video contains captions that tell the story behind the
hunt. According to the video, the elephants are destroying the farmlands. He
said a local farmer asked him to hunt the elephants that were destroying crops
on his farm and leading to growing hunger in the area. It looks like Parsons
was all too happy to oblige from the photos taken immediately after the killing
showing Parsons holding his shotgun as he stands proudly in front of the dead
elephant. He says, “Each year I go to Zimbabwe and hunt problem elephant. It’s
one of the most beneficial and rewarding things I do.”
As soon as the elephant is killed, crowds start to gather to
cut up and eat the meat. They also rapidly dispense the meat to feed their
families. He says that as big as the elephant was, there is still not enough
meat to go around. This
video is admittedly hard to watch. It’s difficult to hear the shots go
off and it is just as harrowing to see the Zimbabwe natives scrounging for the
meat.
ABC
News reports that PETA says their objection is largely centered around
his posting of the video. “It’s just horrible for him to post a video of him
shooting this animal,” said Ashley Gonzalez, a PETA spokeswoman. “We’re
encouraging anyone who has a domain business with Go Daddy to cut ties. He’s
obviously not feeling remorseful, but if his customer base speaks up, maybe
he’ll listen to that message.” Gonzalez said that although the elephants are not
endangered, they are “majestic animals that have complex emotions and family
bonds.”
For those who want to rid themselves of GoDaddy, their
competitor “Namecheap is
inviting attention to the controversy and has launched a promotion in which you
can transfer your account for $4.99. Namecheap also said it will donate $1 to
Save the Elephants.”
Image: GoDaddy
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