Prime Ape

"Those things are going to be the end of me."

- Wilson Prime Apes are neutral Mobs that live in Prime Ape Huts from the Shipwrecked DLC. They bear a striking resemblance to the Splumonkeys, except their beard is much thicker. A Prime Ape will sometimes follow the player and collect items on the ground. Upon death, Prime Apes drop 1 Banana or 1 Morsel and any items in their inventory, which consists of everything they have picked up or harvested but not yet eaten, and Manure they have produced. They can be given a Silly Monkey Ball for distraction.

Behavior
Prime Apes will curiously scavenge for most items they find on the ground, pick Berry Bushes and Mushrooms, and harvest crops from Farms. When hungry, they will eat any Fruits and Vegetables in their inventory. They will produce Manure in their inventory when they eat, unless they already possess a stack of 3 or more Manure. They will also periodically drop Manure once every couple of days, which they will quickly pick up unless they are distracted. Prime Apes currently cannot open containers or steal items within them.

If one notices the player, it has a chance to follow the player for quite some time. This chance is significantly increased if the player is carrying raw or cooked Bananas. When following the player, they will specifically try to pick up items recently dropped on the ground and the items the player is attempting to pick up. Prime Apes will attempt to pick up Backpack slot items, but will continually drop them. They will wear hats they pick up, granting them the benefit of the hat (e.g., a Miner Hat will give light until it runs out of fuel, a Football Helmet will give damage reduction). Prime Apes will not pick up irreplaceable items.

Players can give hats and raw Bananas to Prime Apes, but they won't accept cooked Bananas. Giving them Bananas will pacify them if they are aggressive, otherwise it will befriend them. Befriended Prime Apes will defend the player and attack player's target. When the Prime Apes are friendly to the player, they will harvest Grass Tufts and Saplings and toss items in their inventory (including the harvested Grass and Twigs) to the player, unless they can eat that item or if that item is a fertilizer (i.e. Manure, Rot or Rotten Egg). Friendly Prime Apes will not pick up items that they cannot eat from the ground, however they will continue to harvest Farms, Mushrooms and Berry Bushes. Wilbur is considered permanently friendly, without having to feed a Banana to the Prime Apes.

Prime Apes fight in groups, and once one of them is attacked, it will call for help, causing nearby Prime Apes to join in the fight. This includes Prime Apes befriended by the player. When fighting other Mobs, they will use a melee attack. When fighting the player, they will keep their distance and throw Manure from their inventory. This attack does not cause any damage to Health however will drop Sanity by 10 points if the player is hit. If they are out of Manure to throw, they will actively look to pick up Manure lying around or eat foods to replenish their supply. Without Manure, they pose no threat to the player, and will lose interest and turn neutral after some time. Prime Apes are not hostile to other Mobs, and will not attack them unless they are attacked. They will also not cause Spiders to spawn from Spider Dens when they step on the webbing.

Prime Apes can be distracted by giving them a Silly Monkey Ball, which prevents them from picking any items up while playing with it. Prime Apes that are in combat will not be distracted by a Silly Monkey Ball.

Fighting Strategy
Since the Prime Apes will attempt to avoid the player when attacked, trying to fight them in open areas will not be successful. Using other Mobs, including befriended Prime Apes, to kill Prime Apes will yield plenty of Morsels, Bananas and Manure. When isolated, they can be easily cornered and killed with melee Weapons, or simply by using ranged weapons. Using a Silly Monkey Ball will allow the player to pick up all the loot from kills when there are other Prime Apes around.

Wendy excels at taking Prime Apes out. After an attack the Prime Ape will run away from Wendy but they won't run away from Abigail, meaning Abigail will chase them down and kill the Prime Ape.

Trivia

 * It appears that when the Prime Apes follow the player, they are only looking to be fed. This is supported by the fact that when a player feeds a Banana to a Prime Ape, other Prime Apes following the player may give up and go back to their hut.
 * Prime Apes only pick up items when the player is around, so if the player dies and is revived by a Touchstone, the Prime Apes won't steal the items that were left behind. However, when the player comes to pick the items up, the Prime Apes may steal them.
 * Although it is technically not an ape at all (as it has a tail), this is explained by the fact that its name is a pun on the term "primate"; the order of animals which includes monkeys, apes, lemurs, and humans.
 * Prime Apes may accidentally hurt the player with their melee attack if the player attacks them (with a melee weapon) while they are attacking other mobs.

Bugs

 * The game will eventually crash if the player gives the last hit to a Prime Ape while it is picking up a trap.