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The giant mutated alligator found in the sewers
The Alligator, also known as Gnaw, is a boss that appears near the end of the sewer section in Resident Evil 2. Through unknown circumstances, a normal sized alligator became infected with the T-Virus and grew enormously. It normally inhabits the garbage dump, where food is most easily available (it's large size also limiting it's movements around the sewer system) and is fond of biting down on anything, edible or not (somewhat akin to the real life tiger shark). It attacks the main player during their efforts to retrieve either Sherry Birkin or Ada Wong (depending on the chosen character) crawling out from the garbage dump to chase the player along a tunnel.
Appearances
Other examples of infected alligators would be seen in Resident Evil Survivor. Also it can be found in Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 in the Zoo. However it didn't grew in enormouns size as the cousin from Resident Evil 2.
The Alligator will reappear as a boss in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles.
Strategy
The Alligator can be killed by simply shooting it, causing it to eventually smash a hole in the wall and escape. Killing it in this way will cause a small amount of ammo to appear a little later on. The other more economical method involves releasing an emergency gas canister which the Alligator promptly picks up in its mouth. When the canister is shot, it explodes, taking much of the Alligator's head with it. Killing it this way means it can be killed with 1 hand gun round.
In Outbreak File #2, the only strategy is to just swim over the area where it lives. If you really need to shoot it, stay on the dry land but close to the water, so Gnaw eventually will swim to the edge and try to attack you on land. When it will try, just shoot it. It will take a few bullets from the shotgun to take it down.
Inspirations
This giant reptile may have been based-off the "alligators in the sewers" urban legend.
The second possible death may also be a reference to the movie Jaws, in which the protagonist kills the shark when it eats an explosive canister and he shoots it, blowing it up and killing the shark.