is a series of anthropomorphic animal figures. they are made from plastic and fake animal fur. they were started in japan in 1985 by epoch, but they are now sold worldwide. many books, dvds and tv series have been based on the characters. the characters were originally woodland animals like bears, rabbits and hedgehogs, but now other animals such as penguins, meerkats and elephants have been added into the mix. the word "sylvan" means "forest" in latin.