How fast does a tranquilizer gun work?

Question

I am writing a story for my science class and i need to know te following things:

how fast does a tranquilizer gun work?

how does a tranquilizer work?

how long will an animal like a giraffe stay unconsious?

does it make a sound when shot?

Answer 1

Not only will the time to be knocked down be dependant on the drug used but the weight of the animal. The higher the dose, the longer the sleep. But there is a threshold that should not be crossed if the drug is dosed to high. The animal can die. I have seen and shot two types. A spring powered and a gas powered. They make a noise, but not much.

Answer 2

Tranquilizer guns are very quiet and that is considered a plus as the lack of loud noise reduces the stress put on the targeted animal.

How fast it works, and how long the animal would stay unconscious would depend on the drug used in the dart - the gun is merely an apparatus of administering an injection of a drug from a safe distance.  

For your story, typically it takes between three to 10 minutes for tranquilizer drugs commonly used in tranq darts to take effect (longer if it enters a fatty area instead of muscle)

I read somewhere (but can't find a reference now) that normally when an animal is shot with a tranq dart it is quickly secured and then given an antidote.  The longer an animal is under the influence of a tranquilizer, the riskier it is to its health and recovery.

I hope that helps.  Have fun writing your story.