Isn't it canon that Sandstar turns all animals into females, though? Like with Lion and Moose. I'm sure yuri would be a very new thing for the little guy, but I'm sure he'd welcome a change of pace!
Grape kun represents all of us here and shows that our love for our waifus are real and not just for fapping. You are a hero among us. really hope he'd be reunited with his waifu on the other side.
I never even know Grape-kun existed before I saw the headline for his death today, but thanks to him my originally marginal interest in Kemono Friends has been boosted enough to start reading some of the comics on this site.
... Dammit, I hope Tatsuki gives Grape-kun some sort of tribute if he ever gets back on the Kemono Friends creative team. I can only imagine how many fans have had the flames of their rage at Kadokawa burn even fiercer by perceiving Grape-kun's death as being a result of the penguin's own grief over Tatsuki's firing and/or divine punishment/warning over Kadokawa's firing of Tatsuki.