Fewer than 8,000 Barbary macaques remain in the wild, with numbers declining due to habitat loss, poaching, and trafficking. In 2024, a nationwide project in Morocco collected non-invasive DNA samples from Barbary macaques across the country, creating a detailed genetic database. Scientists have traced Crinkle's ancestry to wild populations in Morocco near Ifrane National Park and Khenifra National Park.
Authorities can now match DNA from intercepted trafficked monkeys to the database to pinpoint their place of origin, which could improve chances of reintroducing trafficked animals back into the wild. According to Matt Lovatt, Monkey Forest Park Director, the involvement of a Barbary macaque from Trentham Monkey Forest in this scientific achievement is significant for species protection. The exact timing of the genome sequencing completion and publication has not been disclosed, and it is unclear how many trafficked monkeys have been intercepted and tested using the new database so far.