It was supposed to be a simple exchange of goodwill. The San Diego Zoo had agreed to lend one of its pandas, Ping, to the Beijing Zoo for a year, as part of a cultural and scientific collaboration. Ping was a beloved attraction at the San Diego Zoo, and the staff hoped he would enjoy his stay in China and maybe even find a mate.

Ping returned to San Diego last week. As soon as he arrived, the zoo staff noticed that he looked and behaved differently. He lost weight, his fur was matted and dirty, his eyes were dull and lifeless. He seemed depressed, anxious and aggressive. He refused to eat, play or interact with anyone.

Upon further examination, zoo staff found that Ping had been implanted with several microchips, cameras and microphones- he had been turned into spyware.

Chinese authorities demanded that Ping be returned to China immediately, or else they would take legal action. San Diego refused and contacted the FBI, the CIA and the NSA, but none of them had any clue who was behind Ping’s transformation, or what their motive was.

Everyone wants to know who turned Ping into a spy, and why. Was it a rogue agent, a terrorist group, a rival nation? Was it for espionage, sabotage, blackmail? Was it for fun, profit, revenge?

San Diego zookeeper: One thing is certain: No one plays ping pong with Ping.