Bolas facts for kids
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Bolas are a special throwing weapon. They are made of heavy balls connected by strong cords. People use bolas to catch animals by wrapping around their legs.
Today, people called gauchos in South America use bolas. But they are very old! Scientists have found bolas in ancient places, especially in Patagonia. Long ago, native people there used them to hunt animals like guanacos and ñandus (a type of bird).
How Bolas Are Used
Gauchos use bolas to catch fast-running animals like cattle or wild game. The person throwing the bolas swings them around to build up speed. Then, they let go!
The bolas fly through the air and wrap around the animal's legs. This makes the animal trip and stop. If thrown very hard, bolas can even break bones, but usually, they just entangle the animal.
Different Kinds of Bolas
Bolas don't all look the same. Most have two or three balls. But some can have many more, even up to 8 or 9 balls!
Sometimes, all the balls are the same weight. Other times, they have different weights or cord lengths. Gauchos often make their bolas from leather cords. The balls can be made of wood or small leather bags filled with stones.
Bolas can have different names based on how many weights they have:
- Perdida: This type has just one weight.
- Avestrucera or ñanducera: These have two weights.
- Boleadora: This is the most common type, with three weights.
- Ka-Lum-Ik-Toun: This is an Inuit name for bolas with 10 or more weights.
