Squirm

Squirm focuses on the destructive behavior of a single trophy hunter named Lincoln Chumley Baxter IV. However, this character has an important symbolic role, for he represents a highly problematic trend that has a profound ecological impact on both American wildlife and on endangered species around the planet. Since the 17th century, overhunting has been the third most common cause of species extinction. Even more concerning is the popularity of trophy hunting among those with the financial means to arrange hunts anywhere in the world. Frequently, the most popular targets are endangered species. The novel uses an exchange between Baxter and a baffled Billy to portray this destructive craze to kill the rarest of species:

‘Why shoot a grizzly bear?’ I say. ‘What’s the point of killing an animal that’s disappearing from the planet?’

‘That’s easy. It’s the challenge—they’re humongous and dangerous and, best of all, very rare.’ Baxter clearly has no shame. ‘There’s barely seven hundred grizzlies left in all of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Once it’s legal to hunt ’em, they’ll get smart and super-hard to find. That’s why I’m out here now, before they catch on’ (254).

Such a rationale is not unique to this flawed fictional character, for Baxter’s reasoning is unfortunately echoed in the real-life practices of entities such as Safari Club International, which actively lobbies to promote hunting as a responsible “wildlife management” technique. In reality, however, Humane Society International reports that the typical trophy hunter is American and is incentivized by 50 awards that the club offers for killing various types of animals (“Trophy Hunting.” Humane Society International). Since hunters often prefer to target the biggest prize, they frequently kill adult males, thereby causing a ripple effect in the ecosystem inhabited by this individual animal. The impact on other members of a species is illustrated in Squirm when Baxter attempts to kill a mother grizzly with two cubs. Even though Summer points out that the bear’s two cubs will die without her, Baxter doesn’t seem to care.

In the United States, attempts to preserve endangered species at the national level are being undermined by state programs that allow staged hunts of these same species. According to The Guardian, “The US federal government has been accused of simultaneously paying to protect endangered species while funding state-organized hunts of large, endangered predators, like gray wolves and grizzly bears” (Perkins, Tom. “US Government Is Funding Kills of Endangered Animals, Activists Say.” The Guardian, 31 Aug. 2023). While multiple groups have petitioned to end these state-level practices, the matter is still under investigation. According to an article in Time, even legal hunting can have a severe impact on wildlife populations (Worland, Justin. “Research Shows Just How Much Hunting Reduces Animal Populations.” Time, 13 Apr. 2017). In areas within 25 miles of a road or other access point, 83% of the mammal population may be destroyed. The fear is that as developing countries improve their transportation infrastructures, they will inadvertently make it easier for hunters to expand their radius for prey.

Human intervention has tipped the ecological balance to such a degree that species are dying at a rate 1,000 times faster than they did during pre-human times. While some of these catastrophes can be blamed on loss of habitat and environmental change, the role of trophy hunting should not be underestimated. Although Squirm is a fictional story, the crisis it depicts for endangered species is quite real.