TALLAHASSEE (AP) – Florida’s governor is asking wildlife officials to begin trapping pythons right away, just as the state handles nuisance alligators.

He issued the call two weeks after a central Florida youngster was strangled in her bed by a pet python.

“I was distressed to see the death that occurred recently,” he said. He added “It is important that we take action now to ensure a safe and healthy future for Florida’s native wildlife and habitats in the Everglades.”

A pet Burmese python measuring more than 8 feet long broke out of a terrarium and strangled a 2-year-old girl, Shaiunna Hare, in the bedroom of her central Florida home on July 1.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Pat Behnke, said about 10 hunters would be permitted initially. They will be allowed to begin hunting the snakes Friday, initially focusing on state lands south of Lake Okeechobee.

Behnke said only the most experienced herpetologists will be allowed to track the Burmese pythons that will be euthanized when found. The hunters are not allowed to use firearms or traps.

“We want to make sure we’ve got the best people out in the field,” she said. “They are going to be providing us with valuable information.”

The Burmese pythons captured by qualified herpetologists will be euthanized.

The number of pythons exploded over the past decade. Some owners have freed pets into the wild. Scientists also think some may have escaped in 1992 from pet shops battered by Hurricane Andrew.