This study was performed to investigate the rabies surveillance in Gangwon-do from 1997 to 2001. Of 185 laboratory submissions for rabies diagnosis, 65(35.1%) cases were determined to be infected with the rabies virus. Annual incidence of animal rabies was 10 cases in 1997, 20 cases in 1998, 16 cases in 1999, 3 cases in 2000, and 16 cases in 2001, respectively. The total number of the reported cases were increased 382% compared with that of the previous period from 1993 to 1996(7 cases). The relative contributions of infected animals in this period were as follows: cattles(24 cases), dogs(26 cases), and raccoons(15 cases). Rabies outbreak in raccoon were steadily expanded. Epidemiologic surveillance showed the rabies outbreaks spreaded to the southern area in Gangwon-do. All rabies cases were showed positive results to rabies tests such as clinical signs, histopathological findings, indirect flourescent antibody test, and mouse inoculation test. Further studies such as genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the isolates should be performed in order to figure out accurate rabies outbreak.