Once, barnaby Bear travelled the world, perched atop school backpacks, in a mode of travel little different from stowing away from Peru to Paddington with a supply of marmalade under one’s hat.

Today, Barnaby is known by teachers and pupils the world over - and with his new-found fame comes more glamorous and new-fangled modes of travel.

Barnaby is the Geographical Association’s way of introducing children to the world, and pupils have posted photographs of him, in various incarnations, in the most remote locations.

No stranger to international attention, the bear last year caused one unfortunate British teacher to be locked up in a Sudanese jail accused of blasphemy after she renamed him Mohammed.

Now Barnaby has joined Facebook, the social networking site, and a teacher friend has posted photos of him sitting on the Great Wall of China.

And a small Barnaby is using global positioning systems to make his way around the world’s “geocaches”. Geocaching is a new sport in which geography teachers and pupils hide treasure that can be found by other players using GPS co-ordinates and cryptic clues.

The finder transfers the treasure - in this case Barnaby - to a new cache, while leaving a new treasure in the previous location.

Geocaching Barnaby, who has travelled as far afield as Tasmania, has changed his original hoody for a nice blue home-knit jumper and scarf. He was last sighted near the village of Walditch in north Dorset.

His next travelling companion may wish to provide him with a jar of marmalade to tide him over.

www.barnabybear.co.uk.