Why do you think Equestria has no apes?

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

Equestria has almost every creature that exists in real life and some more. But I haven't seen any ape creatures. Any interesting Ideas of why?

The only instance that any ape referred in the show was this.

[Rainy Daze 1,701]

I think they would be from another land outside of Equestria and be more sentient like ponies, dragons, or even diamond dogs. Maybe they come from the same land as Zecora? The question of other animals in this universe is always super strange when we have dogs and cats that can't speak whereas cows can? The different sentient races introduced in the movie only further complicate things 

Nevertheless, I like the idea that there are still so many unexplored lands with their own unique inhabitants. Maybe the season 10 comics will show some apes? 

[Tom Gallagher 33,591]

There are still places in Equestria nopony has been to before. There might be apes there! 

[Denim&Venöm 19,193]

3 hours ago, Rainy Day said:

The question of other animals in this universe is always super strange when we have dogs and cats that can't speak whereas cows can?

Season 1 Mandate by Faust. "All ungulates must be sapient. "

3 hours ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Equestria has almost every creature that exists in real life and some more. But I haven't seen any ape creatures. Any interesting Ideas of why?

The only instance that any ape referred in the show was this.

There was one that was even earlier. Best Night Ever. Fluttershy mentioned monkeys as one of the animals she was looking for in the palace gardens. 

As to why there aren't more? Well Equestria doesn't strike me as having the right climate for them. Most apes are in tropical areas and the only place that fits is the forbidden jungle way to the south. And we've only ever seen it like, three times? 

 

 

[SharpWit 2,697]

Think about it like this. It's a pony dominated planet. There may be plenty of other sentient species (which could also play a role) but ponies sit on the "throne".

The only reason monkeys and apes are so interesting to us humans is because they're so much like us. The appeal simply isn't there for the base population. Monkeys may exist but they're not an end all be all type of animal.

Now in regards to other sentent species, the reason why there aren't many apes around could be due to them being outcompeted. The neanderthals only still exist in the form of some mixed breeding with us way back when and bones from another era. Whatever could have played the role as the ancient ancestor to hominids in the world of mlp may have died out from too much competition, one ever existed in the first place.

A much simpler answer though is that Equestria was originally based off of North America. There are no apes or monkeys on that continent that have occurred naturally.

[Fluttershutter 2,504]

Maybe they do somewhere but like in Zootopia maybe the writers thought they were too close to humans.

[Bastian 13,319]

Because the people creating the show decided not to put apes?

But I know that such an answer is boring and doesn't make you think even though it is the truth.

So...

Its my little pony, not the planet of the apes.

Its all I got. 

[Splashee 28,566]

Oh god, conspiracy theories incoming 

Humans are some kind of apes, so in order to not mix in humans into the show, ... Nah, it just won't work

[HereComesTom 2,268]

Probably they're right, that it's mostly the climate, and the fact that ponies don't look like apes.  ...But I couldn't help but think of these from my Grand List of Things Hasbro Won't Let a Brony Do In A Fangame:

83)  There is no "human cage at the zoo", and even if there were, it wouldn't be at maximum stinkage during feeding time.

565) In real life, there are piñatas made to look like donkeys.  In Equestria, there aren't any piñatas made to look like humans.

580) There's no "The Prancing Human" tavern in Equestria.

 

[cuteycindyhoney 13,308]

10 hours ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

Equestria has almost every creature that exists in real life and some more. But I haven't seen any ape creatures. Any interesting Ideas of why?

The only instance that any ape referred in the show was this.

That picture, and Fluttershy mentioning monkeys in "Best Night Ever" prove that they do have simian animals. Not showing them doesn't prove there aren't any.

[Goat-kun 2,527]

Cause it doesn't have appropriate habitats for apes. It has temperate climate and most of the wilderness was destro ... I mean harmonized by ponies.

[Oleks 1,993]

There are some apes in IDW comics, which are, of course, only "secondary" canon.

Spoiler

 

 

In the show there are some monkeys:

And whatever the big-eared plushie in this scene is supposed to be:

So, I think there are apes in the MLP world, just not in the parts where the main characters live.