A man found shot in the Auckland Domain this afternoon has been unable to tell police how he got there or who shot him.

The man lay in the Auckland Domain for some time before making an emergency call on his cellphone for an ambulance.

He was found there by police and ambulance officers after he made the cellphone call, but it was not immediately obvious he had been shot.

He was taken to Auckland Hospital by St John Ambulance staff who described his condition as moderate.

Police said the victim could provide few details, but it was thought he may have been dumped in the Domain because it was close to the hospital where he could get treatment.

Several people walked past him but he did not appear to have asked for help," Police Inspector Cornell Kluessien said.

"He was lying quietly and it looked as if he was kicking back and enjoying the day."

Mr Kluessien said the man had an entry and exit wound to his leg.

"He claims he was shot and his car was taken from him at a different location and he's obviously that shaken up he hasn't been able to tell us how he arrived here at the Domain.

"It is definitely a gunshot wound to his leg. He seemed to be in extreme pain but he more or less crawled on to the ambulance stretcher himself."

Police Inspector Kerry Watson said later detectives were still waiting to talk to the man at the hospital.

A scene search had been conducted by unifomed officers and detectives in the Domain, in the vicinity of the Park Road entrance and the grandstand.

Mr Watson said that the man had a shaved head and was wearing a black tee shirt and white boardshorts.

A group of young people on mountain bikes were seen talking to him between 1pm and 2pm and police would like to hear from those young people.

- NZPA