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.