LAKELAND, Fla. -- State wildlife officials say three pythons have been captured in as many days.

Two were captured late Wednesday in Lakeland -- a 9-footer and an 8-footer -- after escaping from their pens, according to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The caretaker, a 16-year-old, faces several charges, including not having a proper permit and housing captive wildlife in an unsafe condition.

A little girl was strangled by a Burmese python in central Florida on July 1. Soon after, the FWC started a permit program allowing reptile experts to capture and euthanize Burmese pythons on state-managed lands around the Everglades. The program ends Oct. 31.

The third snake, a 17-footer caught in Okeechobee County, was destroyed on private property Thursday afternoon.

"The capture of this large python shows us how well these snakes can thrive in the wild and create a dangerous situation after illegal release or escape," FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto said. "It also illustrates why the FWC is partnering with other agencies to implement python control measures in South Florida. We will continue to push for additional measures to control the spread of Burmese pythons in the Everglades where they are reproducing in large numbers."