Free range guinea pigs?

I`m just surprised they have survived this long as they are a tasty treat for many predators, including dogs and cats.

They are probably having a better life than all those guinea pigs that are bought, played with intensely for 2 weeks by excited children until the novelty wears off and then spend the rest of their lives mostly ignored in a small hutch until they die of whatever guinea pigs die of.

They are lovely little animals if handled enough and properly, but they can be very feisty and will easily see a cat off! Saying that, they probably do have somewhere safe to go at night as getting wet wouldn't suit them.

chap I work with has had 85+ guinea pigs, he kept all the girls in a shed overnight and every morning he let them out to roam the back garden it was like a herd of mini buffalo's 

I'd be tempted to leave be, if they've been roaming for 2 years chances are they have a safe haven or two

Ah, that does sound extremely odd. Why on earth don't the neighbours complain? I love guinea pigs but would not want other people's running all over my garden. I really do understand your concerns but just think that there is very little you can do about it. My personal opinion is that the RSPCA should take an active role in cases like this. It can't be safe for the guineas especially if they are next to a road and they should definitely have safe shelter for the night. We have a very busy A road nearby and one house owner lets their chickens wander around on it. They mostly stay near the edges but we do see them squashed and it seems they just get more to replace them. I  would consider  both these situations to be animal neglect. In reality though the RSPCA don't seem to get involved in these smaller cases. I love the idea of the guineas being able to free range within a safe garden with shelter for nightime but certainly not in the way you describe. Unless the neighbours kick up a fuss and force the owners to contain their pets, I suspect nothing will change unfortunately.

chap I work with has had 85+ guinea pigs, he kept all the girls in a shed overnight and every morning he let them out to roam the back garden it was like a herd of mini buffalo's 

I'd be tempted to leave be, if they've been roaming for 2 years chances are they have a safe haven or two

This is how someone near where we used to live with a huge garden kept hers --- they all seemed to turn up at nigh time to go to bed, and get their daily supply of grain feed. The females mainly gave birth in the shed amongst the hay,  occasionally some 'wild birth' ones appeared, and every so often she gave some away as pets.

She did have her graden well fenced but inevetitable some roamed a little further, as I found when we so carefully caught one in a cat basket 'baited' with carrot, and asked the neighbours if anyone had lost a guinea pig . They laughed and told us about the Big House - as everyone called it - and the guinea pigs.

Took the rather squeaky guinea pig back home, where it happily trotted off into the bushes 

They must have a safe place/bolthole. The fox would have picked them off by now.

When I lived in London, they wouldn't have been safe in a hutch, let alone running around.

I now live in a more country-fied area, less foxes, but did see matey running down the road at about 20 to eight the other morning.

I wouldn't risk it, sorry. Seems odd they are in everyone's garden though, I love Gunieas, but I'd be mad if they eat my plants.

I agree with you 100%

Foxes in London are everywhere including under my aunt's whirly-gig washing-line the other day (sunning itself behind the sheets) and sat sitting on her front doorstep when she arrived back from the shops as if it was the family dog.

Our wabbit grazes the entire garden so a hoard    pack group of guniea pigs would do wonders for mowing the entire garden!