Petro Zailenko died in California in 1981, and the records that surrounded his death contained a rather unconventional detail: his occupation was listed as “hermit” and his address as a hollowed-out tree stump in Hendy Woods State Park. Zailenko, known locally as the Hendy Hermit, had spent roughly 18 years living in and around the redwoods of Mendocino County, and used shelters that were made from fallen trees, bark and branches.
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He disappeared into the forest after working at a mill
California State Parks identifies Zailenko as a Russian World War II veteran who lived among the redwoods during the 1960s and 1970s. Park records say he sheltered in burned-out tree hollows, which were sometimes referred to as “goose pens,” and survived by scavenging food and using clothing that had been discarded by other people. He became known as the Hendy Hermit because of his ability to appear briefly and then disappear back into the forest.
Zailenko was born in 1914 and may have arrived in the United States after leaving a Russian fishing trawler in San Francisco in the late 1950s or early 1960s, according to SFGATE's account of the park's records and local history. He eventually reached Anderson Valley, where he worked at a lumber mill, and after someone apparently asked him for immigration papers or a Social Security number, he became afraid of deportation and left for the woods.
California State Parks itself notes that much of what is known about Zailenko comes from accounts by visitors, locals and park staff, which makes some commonly repeated details about his origins difficult to establish with certainty.
His shelters were made from the forest around him
Zailenko built crude shelters from the materials around him, and SFGATE reported that he constructed watertight huts from redwood bark, branches and mats made from needles. One shelter was associated with a hollowed-out tree stump, while another became known as the Hermit Hut. He gathered food from nearby gardens and orchards and sometimes accepted food from visitors. Local accounts describe him collecting discarded clothing from campers and modifying it for himself. He also cooked over an open fire and stored food in jars and other containers.
Zailenko occasionally appeared at campsites, where he was known to quietly ask visitors for matches or tobacco. Some people remembered him sitting near their fires, and others gave him food. Over time, he developed relationships with a small number of local people and park workers. California State Parks still directs visitors along the Hermit Hut Trail to the area where he once lived, and describes him as a Russian immigrant who lived alone among the trees for close to two decades.
Zailenko died in 1981
Zailenko's life in the woods ended in August 1981, when he became seriously ill. Local accounts say park staff found him unwell near a picnic area and arranged for him to be taken to a hospital in Ukiah. He died on August 31, 1981.
An Anderson Valley Advertiser account of his history places his time in the woods at around 18 years and describes the shelters he built, including one situated in a hollowed-out redwood stump. It also records how people who encountered him remembered him as an elusive figure who knew the surrounding woods well. The state park has since expanded, and the areas associated with Zailenko are now accessible through a designated trail.
