(CNN) -
A stray dog named Boji has become something of a celebrity in Istanbul, Turkey where he travels around the city on his ferries, trams and subway cars.
His adventures came to light a couple of months ago, and city officials began to follow his movements, surprised by his ingenuity.
"He knows where to go. He knows where to go," says Avlin Erol, head of customer relations for the Istanbul metro.
Boji is estimated to travel up to 30 kilometers a day, passing through dozens of subway stations and making at least two ferry trips.
"He's a free spirit," says Chris McGrath, a Getty Images photographer who recently spent a day following Boji around town.
"All he wants to do is ride the means of transportation. Every time he passes a bus, a van, or any other form of transportation, he just wants to get on it. It's really weird."
Boji rests on a metro train in Istanbul.
The tag on his ear, common in city street dogs, means that he is neutered and vaccinated.
Boji travels on a ferry to the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul.
McGrath learned about Boji's story through Twitter, where people post their photos and selfies with the mongrel dog.
Now the dog has his own Twitter and Instagram accounts with tens of thousands of followers.
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"Everybody knows him now and everybody has seen him," McGrath said.
For many, the dog has become a beloved member of the community.
"He walked into a restaurant and two men kind of scared him off, yelled at him," McGrath said.
"And then you hear someone else, the owner of another restaurant, yelling at those guys saying, 'It's Boji! It's Boji! Don't chase him away.' So now he has celebrity status."
People take photos with Boji while traveling on the ferry to Beşiktaş.
Municipal workers also protect Boji, and have been taking care of him.
Earlier this month, he was taken in for a cleanup and medical checkup.
They also did a behavioral study to make sure he was okay and that all human interaction was not a problem for him or those around him.
"They took him to some kind of boot camp and gave him some love, some grooming and some shots," McGrath said.
"They watched him interact, they fixed his tracking collar and that took about a week."
The city council also created a small doghouse for him in one of their metro stations, and they feed him when he wants to return.
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But Boji prefers to wander.
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Boji is a stray dog from Istanbul, Turkey.
Here we see him riding the tram in Kadiköy.
Look at the gallery →
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Boji goes through the turnstiles of the subway.
He is already a more experienced traveler than many humans.
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Boji knows exactly where to go, said photographer Chris McGrath, and it wasn't always easy to keep up.
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Boji rests on a metro train in Istanbul.
The tag on his ear, common in city street dogs, means that he is neutered and vaccinated.
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Boji runs alongside an arriving subway train.
"He stands on the side of the platform and as soon as he hears the vibration of the train, he goes to the end of the platform and basically chases after him and waits by the door. He knows exactly where the doors are. Actually, he is quite insistent. ; people try to get off, he tries to get on, "said McGrath.
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Boji waits on the platform to board a subway car.
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A man caresses Boji while riding the subway.
"He's very happy," says McGrath.
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Boji makes a stop to feed.
Boji drinks from a bowl of water at the Kadıköy subway station.
Since there are many stray animals in Istanbul, these bowls are common.
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Boji rides a tram in Kadıköy.
Municipal workers also protect Boji, and have been taking care of him.
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Ali Yesilirmak trained Boji in early October when city officials wanted to do a behavior study and make sure Boji was okay.
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Boji usually takes at least two ferries a day, according to officials tracking him.
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Boji gets on the Beşiktaş ferry.
McGrath says he was surprised when he saw Boji change his mind between two ferry routes.
Apparently he prefers Beşiktaş's.
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People watch Boji on a ferry.
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Now that he has won the affection of the people in his city, people take pictures with Boji while he travels on the ferry to Beşiktaş.
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Boji has a booth in a subway station in the city, but he is simply a free spirit.
Boji travels on a ferry to the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul.
Municipal workers monitor Boji from afar, using a mobile app to track his movements.
McGrath contacted them last week to follow Boji.
"He knows exactly where the train doors are," wonders McGrath.
"He stands on the side of the platform and as soon as he hears the vibration of the train, he goes to the end of the platform and basically chases after him and waits by the door. He knows exactly where the doors are. Actually, he is quite insistent. ; people try to get off, he tries to get on. "
Boji waits on the platform to board a subway car.
People watch Boji on a ferry.
When Boji gets on a ferry, he knows exactly where to go: next to the sun.
"He loves water," says McGrath.
"When the ferry starts, it starts barking at its waves."
McGrath laughed as he remembered the dog choosing between two ferries.
"He checked one, and people were going up. I don't know how he knows, but that one was going to Eminönü. And the other one was going to Beşiktaş. So he checked the one that was going to Eminönü and said no, it wasn't the right one. And then he slipped under the turnstile and continued to the one in Beşiktaş. I don't know how he knows, but he seems to like to ride the Beşiktaş ferry. "
Boji gets on the Beşiktaş ferry.
McGrath was told that Boji also enjoys the engines of various vehicles.
"On the ferry, Boji sits in the back, where the engine is, because he likes the vibration," McGrath said.
"And when he's on the subway, on the subway, he sits where the wheels are, right on top of the wheels. He always likes the feeling of sitting on them."
This area of the subway is the one that gave Boji its name.
It is known as the bogie zone, in railway terminology, and bogie translates to boji in Turkish.
Boji rides a tram in Kadıköy.
Boji usually takes at least two ferries a day, according to officials tracking him.
If there's one thing Boji doesn't like, it's cats.
And he comes across many stray cats during his travels.
"They call Istanbul 'Catstanbul' because there are a lot of cats here," says McGrath, who has been in the city for six years.
"(Boji) sees a cat in the distance and chases it. I've seen him do it three or four times, chase them into the trees and so on. He doesn't like cats."
"But other than that, he's a totally perfect dog. He just hangs around. Everybody pats him. He's very happy."
A man caresses Boji while riding the subway.
"He's very happy," says McGrath.
Since there are so many stray animals in Istanbul, it is not difficult for Boji to find food.
"There is water and a food bowl for the animals hidden in the corners of restaurants or houses," McGrath said.
"So (Boji) knows where to go.
"He was on his way to the ferry, and there's a taxi rank and there was a little house for a cat and some bowls and he stands there and drinks. And there's a picture of him on the subway drinking, and that's like a food court and Municipal animal drink. He knew exactly how to get there. "
Boji drinks from a bowl of water at the Kadıköy subway station.
Since there are many stray animals in Istanbul, these bowls are common.
Ali Yesilirmak trains Boji in early October when city officials wanted to do a behavior study and make sure Boji was okay.
McGrath said the municipality will soon put up some informational posters about Boji on the transportation system, giving people some guidance on how to interact with him.
Of course, do not expect the dog to accept directions.
"He doesn't listen to anyone," says McGrath.
"If you try to tell him something, he basically ignores you. A lot of people say, 'Oh come here, sit here,' and he just ignores it, he goes where he wants to go."
"It's really that kind of spirit. He just wants to go and do his thing and travel around, and he's very happy doing it."
Boji travels by tram in Kadiköy.
- Photographs by Chris McGrath / Getty Images.