Escurolles - Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte

The parish of Escurolles was given to Cluny in 953/054 by Ermengarde, (probably) the wife of Archambaud I de Bourbon, Seigneur de Bourbon (yes, this is where the illustrious name derived from). The church Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte was built 11th/12th century. It has a nave and two aisles. The church is known for some pretty archaic carvings.

This capital is from the nave.

From left to right: a human head, a small flower, a head of an ape, a small flower.

Well, I was in an area, where I just could not leave a place, without having spotted the monkey or ape. These creatures are just everywhere in the Auvergne, and sofar I did not find any plausible explanation for this, other than apes and monkeys existed here. There were people, who kept apes and monkeys and showed them around. Is there anybody able to identify the species?