The three men were playing with the duckling at McLaren Falls.

Three young men spotted frolicking in the water near Tauranga are clearly not ducking their responsibilities.

Carol Ann Hitchcock stopped off at McLaren Falls on the Mangakarengorengo River around 5pm and spotted something "pretty unusual".

"Three young men turned up with a basket. Inside was this cute wee duckling.

Carol Ann Hitchcock Hitchcock said the men appeared to be in their twenties.

"I thought, is that what I think it is? Surely not, so I got my camera out ... it was absolutely beautiful to see."

READ MORE:

* Pet fish in tupperware container kicked off Jetstar flight

* Passenger left distraught after bringing goldfish onto a flight

​* Photo of men surfing on turtle on Australian beach

Hitchcock said the three men jumped into the water with the duckling and played for the next 45 minutes.

Carol Ann Hitchcock The men swam and played with the duckling like it was a child, Hitchcock said.

"It made my day to see them all having fun and swimming in the clear water.

"Wherever the young men went, the duckling would follow. It swam where they swam and when they hopped out, the duckling did, too.

"At one point, one guy was lying on his back in the water and the little duck hopped on his tummy.

Carol Ann Hitchcock Hitchcock said the duckling followed the men everywhere.

"They were having a great time, talking to it and feeding it treats like bread.

"Then they popped him or her back into the basket, and they were off."

Hitchcock thinks the men rescued the duckling.

Carol Ann Hitchcock Hitchcock thinks the men are foreigners.

It would be interesting to find out how the men became acquainted with the duckling, Hitchcock said.

They sounded like foreigners and looked to be in their 20s, she said.