A B.C. man is recovering in hospital after fighting for his life against a defensive mother grizzly bear.

George Knoll, an engineer for a logging company, was working in the forest near Bella Bella, B.C., when the bear attacked him.

Knoll says he didn't even notice the grizzly until it was too late to get away.

"They saw each other at a fairly close distance," local conservation officer Sgt. Len Butler told CTV Vancouver. "The bear charged, and did attack him. It mauled him."

The bear "severely" bit Knoll’s torso and one of his arms, Butler said, but Knoll struck back, kicking at the animal.

"I suppose the bear must have had him down on the ground or something and he just kept kicking it in the head," Knoll's mother-in-law, Patricia Bouchard, told CTV Vancouver.

Knoll fought back the bear, but the protective mother charged him again and again, Bouchard said.

"He fought it off and then it would take off for a bit and then it came back," she said. "He's a remarkable man though, I tell you, because he fought that darn thing off three times."

Finally, the bear fled the area, Butler said. It was only then that Knoll spotted a baby bear nearby.

"The sow (mother bear) left and he realized there was a cub with it," Butler said.

According to Butler, Knoll treated his own injuries before being discovered by a co-worker and taken to hospital.

In total, Knoll suffered 50 puncture wounds to his back, shoulder and arm. He is in stable condition, but he's expected to spend a few more days recovering in hospital.

As for the bear, conservation officers say she has not been seen since the incident, and that they do not plan to search for her or put her down.

They say the attack was likely defensive, rather than aggressive, as mother bears are extremely protective of their babies.

"The sow was (saying) 'You’re in my space' and they want to get you out of there," Butler said.

He said the mother does not pose a risk to other humans, and is unlikely to harm anybody else.

"She's probably stressed from the whole situation herself and has taken her cub and taken off," he said.

With files from CTV Vancouver’s Lisa Rossington