RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina residents should resist the temptation to help young squirrels that appear to have fallen from their nests, state wildlife officials say.

During hurricane season, storms and tree-cutting activities can dislodge gray squirrel nests, or cause the young to fall from their habitat high in trees, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission said Thursday in a news release.

Well-intentioned residents who find young squirrels on the ground may try to offer food or care, but wildlife officials urge patience.

“A good practice is not to assume immediate intervention is the best way to help,” Falyn Owens, an extension biologist for the Wildlife Commission, said.

A mother squirrel will work to rebuild a damaged nest and to retrieve her young, Owens stated, but moving a young squirrel can hurt its chances of survival.

“Humans simply are not as good at taking care of young wildlife as their mothers, and not all young animals found by themselves have been abandoned,” Owens said.

The eastern gray squirrel, whose scientific name Sciurus Carolinians, includes a nod to the Carolinas, has been designated the state mammal.

For advice on helping wildlife that appear to be in distress, contact the wildlife agency help line at 866-318-2401 or hwi@ncwildlife.org.